ADMINISTRATIVE LAW – Atty. Chan-Gonzaga/Dean Roy
ADMINISTRATIVE LAW
Source: ADMINISTRATIVE LAW: A Text, Neptali
Gonzales
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
What is administrative law?
 The author adopts this definition:
 In a narrower sense and as commonly used
today, this is the branch of modern law
under which the executive department of the
gov’t, acting in a quasi-legislative or quasijudicial capacity, interferes with the conduct
of the individual for the purposes of
promoting the well-being of the community.
(Dean Roscoe Pound)
 Embraces all the law that controls, or is intended
to control, the administrative operations of
gov’t, and includes the law:
 W/c provides the structure of gov’t &
prescribes the procedure
 It does NOT include the substantive law w/c
administration is supposed to apply.
 In modern usage, it is concerned with the legal
problem arising out of the existence of agencies
which combine in a single entity legislative,
executive and judicial powers which, in our
system of law were traditionally kept separate.
 Justice Frankfurter - field of control
exercised by law-administering agencies
other than courts, and the field of control
exercised by courts over them.
 Part of the public law which fixes the
organization and determines the competence of
administrative authorities and indicates to the
individual remedies for the violation of his
rights. (Goodnow)
 It is the system of legal principles which settle
the conflicting claims of executive and
administrative authority on the one side, and of
individual or private rights on the other.
(Freund)
 Law concerning the powers and procedures of
administrative agencies including specially the
law governing judicial review of administrative
action. (Prof. Kenneth Culp Davis, this is the
well accepted concept of admin law)
Distinguish Administrative Law from other
Disciplines
Administrative Law v. Law of Public Admin
Admin law
Law of Public Admin
Rhys Alexei Y. Murillo
II-D 2003-2004
Emphasis is to the
problems of administrative
regulation rather than
administrative
management.
Emphasis of the law is
made on the organization,
operation and management
of the different branches of
gov’t and on their
relations
 If the relation is between the admin agencies
and the individuals affected by the exercise
of their rule-making or adjudicatory
activities, this is covered by admin law.
Administrative Law v. Constitutional Law
Admin law
Constitutional Law
Provides the details which
give the skeleton structure
the characteristics of a
finished whole.
Lays down the secondary
rules w/c limit and qualify
or expand and amplify the
general precepts laid down
by consti to be understood
and applied to the needs of
layman citizens.
Treats relations of gov’t
with individual from the
standpoint of the powers of
gov’t.
Lays emphasis on duties
Provides the framework of
governmental organization
Lays down the general
rules of gov’t which are
fundamental and w/o w/c
no gov’t org can survive
Treats of the relations of
the gov’t with individual
from the latter’s standpoint.
Lays stress upon rights
 Admin law complements consti insofar as it
determines the rules of law relative to the
activity of the admin authorities.
 It supplements consti law insofar as it
regulates the admin org of the gov’t.
Administrative Law v. Penal Law
Admin law
Penal Law
Penal sanctions for the
purpose of enforcing a rule
of admin law w/c is the
most common and efficient
means to enforce such
admin law.
Consists of a body of penal
sanctions w/c are applied to
ALL branches of the law,
including admin law.
 Mere affixing of a penalty to the violation of
a rule of admin law does not deprive it of its
administrative character.
Administrative Law v. International Law
Admin law
International Law
Lays down the rules w/c
shall guide the officers of
the administration in their
actions as agents of the
Cannot be regarded as
binding upon the officers
of any gov’t considered in
their relation to their own
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ADMINISTRATIVE LAW – Atty. Chan-Gonzaga/Dean Roy
actions as agents of the
gov’t.
their relation to their own
gov’t.
EXCEPT: insofar as it has
been adopted into the
admin law of the state.
 For Phil. Gov’t officers to be bound by
mandates of international law, the
Legislature must adopt such principles and
translate it into Philippine law.
Is Administrative Law a General or Specific
Law?
 It is both.
 General Admin Law – is that which is
common to all or to many different types of
admin agencies. (subj matter of the author’s
book)
 Special Admin Law – law which is provided
for and derived from the activity of a
particular admin agency.
 Proceeds from a particular statute or
ordinance creating the individual
agency.
 Applies only to such agency.
What are the Kinds of Administrative Law?
1) Statutes setting up admin authorities either by:
 creating boards, commissions, and admin
officers or
 confiding the powers and duties to existing
boards, commission or officers to:
• amplify,
• execute,
• supervise the operations of, and
• determine controversies arising under
particular laws in the enactment of
which the legislature decided for matters
of convenience or for quicker or more
efficient administration to withhold the
controversies, at least in the first
instance, from the courts of law.
2) Rules, regulations or orders of such
administrative authorities enacted and
promulgated in pursuance of the purposes for
which they were created or endowed.
3) Determinations, decisions and orders of such
admin authorities made in the settlement of
controversies arising in their particular fields
4) Body of Doctrines and decisions dealing with
the creation, operation, and effect of
determinations and regulations of such admin
authorities.
What is the scope of Administrative Law?
Rhys Alexei Y. Murillo
II-D 2003-2004
1) Body of statutes which sets up admin agencies
and endows them with powers and duties.
2) Body of rules, regulations, and orders issued by
admin agencies.
3) Body of determinations, decisions and orders of
such admin authorities made in the settlement of
controversies arising in their respective fields.
4) Body of doctrines and decisions dealing with the
creation, operation and effect of determinations
and regulations of such admin agencies.
How did Administrative Law Grow and Develop?
 Origin is legislation and proceeds from the
increased functions of government.
 The multiplication of subjects of gov’t
regulations and the increased difficulty of
administering laws became one of the causes
for its development.
 In order to enable admin agencies to perform
their functions efficiently and effectively, the
legislature has granted to them the power to
adjudicate on cases arising within the scope of
their activities.
 The Phil used to be under the economic
principle of laissez fair (let live alone)
 Ang Tibay v. CIR
 Policy of laissez faire has to some extent
given way to assumption by the gov’t of
the right of intervention in contractual
relations that are affected with public
interest.

Gov’t has gone into the control &
regulation of banking, insurance, public
utilities, foreign exchange, finance,
industry, the professions, health, morals
and labor-management relations.
 Admin law deals pre-eminently with law in the
making, and its growth is traced to its:
 Adjustability to change,
 Flexibility in the light of experience,
 Swiftness in meeting new emergency
situations, and
 Efficiency and expertise.
What is the reason for the development of Admin
Law?
 It arises out of Necessity. The existence and
powers proceed from:
 Increased function of gov’t
 Complexity of modern social, economic,
and industrial systems,
 Inability of legis or courts to perform their
functions directly
 Necessity for constant supervision by
experts and specialists and the experience
acquired by such specialist in difficult and
complicated fields
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ADMINISTRATIVE LAW – Atty. Chan-Gonzaga/Dean Roy
 Flexibility which is the mark of admin
process in contrast to leg or judicial process.
What is the relation of Administrative law to
Traditional Law?
 Admin law embraces elements hostile to
traditional law and regarded as subversive of the
“rule of law”.
 Law and administration are to some extent
antagonistic institutions of the government.
 Legislature have:
 Entrusted protection of interests to admin
agencies rather than to courts (remember
legis has power to apportion court
jurisdiction, w/ exceptions of course)
 Established admin agencies as very impt.
tribunals in the administration of justice,
making decisions sometimes of vast
importance and equal to matters determined
by courts.
 Although admin agencies strictly speaking are
not courts, their creation involves the emergence
of a new system of courts in a broad sense no
less significant than the evolution of chancery.
What is the role of the Courts in relation to
Admin Agencies?
 Role of Courts is to:
 Accommodate administrative process to the
traditional judicial system,
 Accommodate private rights and public
interest in the powers reposed in admin
agencies, and
 Reconcile in the fields of admin action,
democratic safeguards & standards of fair
play with the effective conduct of
government (that is why they can review
admin decisions in cases of GADALEJ)
What are the important aspects of judicial role &
the search for accommodation?
1) The determinations by the courts of the degree
to which admin agencies may be left free to act
in their own discretion w/o the declaration of
standards for such action by the legislature.
2) The extent to which the courts will:
 Require in quasi-judicial procedure which
approaches that of courts
 Refrain from interference with the admin
process
 Be restricted from passing upon the legality
or correctness of the action taken by the
admin agency
 Review, enforce, or provide relief from,
action of an administrative agencies
Rhys Alexei Y. Murillo
II-D 2003-2004
3) Determinations whether the administrative or
judicial process provides the appropriate remedy
in a particular situation.
 In all of these areas, particularly in regard to the
constitutional rights of persons, the judicial
process aims to provide security and safeguards
where expediency is served by the expertise and
absence of rigidity in the admin process.
What is the Nature of Administration?
 Administration may be viewed either as a
function or as an organization.
What is Administation as a function?
 It is the execution, in non-judicial matters, of
the law or will of the state as expressed by the
competent authority. It is the activity of the
executive officers of the gov’t taken in this
narrow but proper sense.
 It is the government in action as opposed to
deliberation of the rendering of judicial decision
and can be found in all the manifestations of
executive action.
 This has to do with carrying the laws into effect
– their application to the current affairs by way
of management and oversight, including
investigation, regulation and control, in
accordance with and in execution of the
principles prescribed by the lawmaker.
What is Administration as an Organization?
 It is that group of aggregate persons in whose
hands, the reigns of government are for the time
being.
 Indicates the entire administrative organization
extending down from the Pres to the most
humble of his subordinates. It is the totality of
the executive and administrative authorities.
Distinguish between Administration and Politics
Administation
Politics
Execution of the policies
and expressions of the state
will
Subjected to the control of
politics
Policies and expressions of
the state will
Primary function is the
expression of the state will,
with a 2ndary function of
execution of such will.
Distinguish between Administration and Law
Administration
Law
Achieves public security by
preventive measures, and
selects a hierarchy of
officials to each of whom
definite work is assigned.
Operates by redress or
punishment rather than
prevention. It formulates
general rules of action and
visits infractions with
penalties.
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ADMINISTRATIVE LAW – Atty. Chan-Gonzaga/Dean Roy
Supervises the action.
Governed by the ends
rather than the rules and is
personal, often arbitrary
and subject to abuses.
If well exercise, it is
extremely efficient, more
efficient than the rival
agency can be.
penalties.
It leaves individuals free to
act, but imposes pains upon
those who do not act in
accordance with the
principles described.
Safeguards against
ignorance, caprices or
corruption of magistrates
and is impersonal.
Is not quick enough or
automatic enough to meet
the requirements of a
complex social
organization.
Admin of Gov’t v. Admin of Justice
Administration of
Administration of
Gov’t
Justice
Officers are called
Administrative Officers
Work done is NOT
necessarily the result of
any controversy, and is not
merely dependent on the
solution of the question
“what is the law” but made
as a result of consideration
of expediency.
Determination of won they
are competent to act, and
must also decide (in case
they are competent to act)
if it is wise for them to act.
Officers are called Judicial
Officers
Work consists in the
decision of controversies
between individuals and
government officers as to
the applicability in the
cases in question of a
particular rule of law.
Determination of what law
is applicable to the facts set
before them
What are the advantages of Administrative
Action Over Both Legislative and Judicial Action
1) Regulation by gov’t opens a way for action to be
taken in the public interest to prevent future
harm where there would be no assurance that
any action would be taken if initiative were left
wholly to interested individuals.
2) It provides for action that will be prompt and
preventive, rather than merely remedial, and will
be based on technical knowledge, which would
not be available if it were taken through the
ordinary courts of law.
II-D 2003-2004
the application of rules of a rigid and permanent
character.
What are the recognized weakness and criticisms
against Administrative action?
 Sometimes referred to as the “fourth branch of
gov’t” is attacked as a government of discretion
and is open to potential abuse and arbitrariness.
(Justice Frankfurter)
1) Tendency towards arbitrariness;
2) Lack of legal knowledge and aptitude in sound
judicial technique
3) Susceptibility to political bias or pressure often
brought about by uncertainty of tenure and lack
of sufficient safeguards for independence;
4) Disregard for the safeguards that insure a full ad
fair hearing;
5) Absence of standard rules of procedure suitable
to the activities of each agency;
6) A dangerous combination of legislative,
executive and judicial functions
What are the other kinds of Administration?
 Administration is of two kinds: internal and
external.
External v. Internal Administration.
External
Internal
Administration
Administration
Deals with relations
between administrative
agencies and individuals
affected by their quasilegislative and quasijudicial activities.
3) It ensures that the action taken will have regard
for the interests of the general public in a way
not possible if it were only the outcome of a
controversy between private parties to a law suit.
Deals with the relations of
the administration or its
officers with private
individuals
Concerned with problems
of administrative regulation
4) It permits the flexibility of rules for the
prevention of socially hurtful, based on
discretion, and makes possible the introduction
of order in fields, not advantageously admitting
This is the subject matter of
Administrative law in its
modern and narrower
sense.
Rhys Alexei Y. Murillo
Considers the legal aspects
of public administration in
its institutional side, that is
a going concern
Includes the legal structure
or organization of public
administration, and the
legal aspects of
institutional activities.
Also involves the legal
qualifications for office,
disqualifications,
appointments, etc.
Concerned with the
relations of officers with
each other or with the
administration itself
Concerned with the
problems of administrative
management
Roughly includes the
subjects covered in the
Law of Public Officers
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ADMINISTRATIVE LAW – Atty. Chan-Gonzaga/Dean Roy
What is Administrative Law in the Philippine
Setting?
 Administrative regulation of private activities
was originally undertaken through regular
departments of the executive branch.
 There is an increasing use of regulatory agencies
specially created to carry out the legislative
policy regulating specified activities. These
agencies are given powers to promulgate rules
and regulations implementing statutes and to
adjudicate controversies arising therefrom.

CHAPTER II
CREATION, ESTABLISHMENT AND
ABOLITION OF ADMINISTRATIVE
AGENCIES
What is the nature (in General) of Administrative
Agencies?
 Admin agency is an indefinite and generic term
and covers boards, commission, departments and
divisions and somewhat less familiar
designations of “office” and “authority”. It may
even cover a single officer.
 Used to describe an agency exercising some
significant combinations of executive,
legislative, and judicial powers.
 Some assert that “administrative” is the 4th
power of gov’t. Viewed from the standpoint of
any particular act of the agency:
 It is either executive or in the narrowest
sense administrative, or legislative, or
judicial, or,
 To distinguish it from organs which are
purely or essentially legislative or judicial,
quasi-legislative or quasi-judicial.
 Some partake of the nature of public agencies
acting in the public interests, and their
jurisdiction is dependent upon the existence of a
public interest, since they are not tribunals for
the enforcement of private rights.
 Mere fact that a statute setting up a commission,
does not itself render the commission a court
even if:
 The rules of procedure adopted by such
commission provide a mode of procedure
conforming in many respects to the regular
practice of the court, or
 The commission possess or exercises
powers and functions resembling those
exercised by the courts
Rhys Alexei Y. Murillo
II-D 2003-2004
What are some limitations of Admin agencies
acting as a court?
 Administrative agencies:
 CANNOT exercise PURELY judicial
functions,
 Do NOT have the inherent powers of a
court,
 Are NOT bound in their proceedings by all
the rules applicable to proceeding in court.
What are other natures of Admin agencies?
 Some are deemed to be agents of the legislative
branch of the government and not of the
executive branch.
 Some on the other hand are deemed as agents of
the executive, or described as “executive or
administrative” agencies.
 Some are bodies corporate with legal capacity to
sue and be sued in the courts and were held to
constitute legal entities with perpetual existence
apart from their members.
 Others are without independent existence but are
merely regarded as instrumentalities of the
government or political divisions thereof.
What is an Administrative Agency?
 It is an organ of government, other than a court
and other than a legislature, which affects the
rights of private parties through either
adjudication or rule making.
 It may be called a commission, board, bureau,
office administrator, department, authority,
corporation, administration, division or agency.
How are administrative agencies Created?
They are created whether individual or
institutional by:
1) Constitutional Provisions
 E.g.: CSC, COMELEC, COA
2) Legislature in legislative enactments
 E.g. : Bureau of Customs, BIR, NLTC,
PRC, Court of Agrarian Relations, Phil.
Patent Office, SEC, Board of
Transportation, Social Security
Commission, BSP, National Grains
Authority
3) Authority of law
 Under various gov’t reorganization acts, the
President and the Gov’t Survey and
Reorganization Commission had been
authorized and had in fact created
administrative offices and agencies in the
course of the reorganization of the executive
branch of the gov’t.
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ADMINISTRATIVE LAW – Atty. Chan-Gonzaga/Dean Roy
 E.g.: defunct Board of Tax Appeals and
Regional Offices of the DOLE.
What are the Purposes of Administrative
Agencies?
1) To dispense certain privileges accorded by the
govt;
2) To carry on governmental business or functions;
3) To carry on or undertake some business service
for the public;
4) To regulate certain public callings or business
affected with public interest;
5) To promote the general welfare through police
regulations
6) To determine rights of individuals in certain
cases where a strong social policy is involved.
What are Common Types of Administrative
Agencies?
1) Agencies created in situations wherein the
government is offering some gratuity, grant, or
special privilege
 E.g.: Phil. Veterans board (defunct), Board
on pensions for Veterans, NARRA,
Philippine Veterans Administration
2) Agencies set up to function in situations wherein
the gov’t is seeking to carry on certain gov’t
functions.
 E.g.: Bureau of Immigration, BIR, Board of
Special Inquiry, Board of Commissioners,
CSC, BSP
3) Agencies set up to function in situations wherein
the gov’t is performing some business service for
the public
 E.g.: Bureau of Posts, Postal Savings Bank,
MWSS, Phil National Railways, Civil
Aeronautics Administration
II-D 2003-2004
What is the degree of Control of the Legislature
over Administrative Agencies?
 Legislative power over admin agencies is very
broad, it is the legislative branch that:
 Promulgates the general policy
 Creates the agency to administer it if none is
already in existence for the purpose
 Prescribes the mode of appointment, the
term of office and compensation;
 Fixes its authority and procedure;
 Determines the size of its personnel and
staff;
 Exercises continuing surveillance over its
activities;
 May investigate its operations for remedial
or corrective legislation
 Legislature is more and more in favor of
enacting statutes in broad and general wording
and leaving details thereof to administrative
agencies to fill by rules, orders, regulations and
the like.
How are Administrative Agencies Reorganized
and Abolished?
 Experimentation is frequent in the field of
administration, and particular admin agencies
are sometimes:
 Abolished and new ones created embodying
the fruits of experience;
 Reorganized or their functions transferred to
other agencies.
 Congress has at various times vested powers in
the President to reorganize executive agencies
and redistribute functions and the transfers made
under such are held by the SC to be within the
authority of President.
4) Agencies set up to function in situations wherein
the gov’t is seeking to regulate business affected
with public interests
 E.g.: Fiber Inspection Board, Phil Patent
Office, Office of the Insurance
Commissioner
 Any doubt as to the authority granted to the
President and the due exercise thereof, is
determined by congressional approval and
ratification in subsequently recognizing the
validity of the transfer by making appropriations
for the purpose of carrying out the transferred
function.
5) Agencies set up to function in situations wherein
the gov’t is seeking under the police power to
regulate private business and individuals
 E.g.: SEC, Board of Food Inspectors,
MTRCB, PRC
 Constitutionally created admin agencies cannot
be abolished by statute, while admin agencies
created by statute or through the authority of a
statute may be validly abolished and reorganized
by the legislature.
6) Agencies set up to function in situations wherein
the gov’t is seeking to adjust individual
controversies because of some strong social
policy involved
 E.g.: NLRC, Court of Agrarian Relations,
the Regional Offices of DOLE, the Social
Security Commission, Bureau of Labor
Standards, Women and Minors Bureau.

Rhys Alexei Y. Murillo
CHAPTER III
ADMINISTRATIVE AGENCIES AND THE
PRINCIPLES OF SEPARATION AND
NON-DELEGATION OF POWERS
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ADMINISTRATIVE LAW – Atty. Chan-Gonzaga/Dean Roy
II-D 2003-2004
What are the three broad segments of the study
of Administrative Law?
1) Transfer of power from the legislature to
administrative agencies;
2) Exercise of such delegated powers by these
agencies;
3) Review of such administrative actions by the
courts
 It originated from glossators,
In general, how are the principles of separation
and non-delegation of powers applied in admin
agencies?
 Laws enacted by the legislature prescribing the
powers and functions of administrative agencies
must respect constitutional limitations.
 It found its way into America as an
enlightened principle of free gov’t and has
become an accepted corollary of the
principle of Separation of Powers.
 It is important to determine whether the transfer
violates constitutional inhibitions since admin
agencies are usually vested rule-making and
adjudicatory powers similar to legislative and
judicial powers.
What are the most common limitations imposed
by the constitution?
 Constitutional principles of separation of powers
and non-delegability of powers.
 Prohibits the delegation of legislative power,
the vesting of judicial officers with nonjudicial functions, as well as the investing of
non-judicial officers with judicial powers.
 It is for these reasons that the principles of
separation and non-delegation of powers are
intertwined with the 1st & 3rd segments in the
study of admin law.
What is the effect of the emergence of
administrative agencies in the execution of laws
and promulgation of rules and regulations?
 It has to a large extent, relaxed the rigidity of the
theory of separation of powers by permitting the
delegation of greater power by the legislature
and vesting a large amount of discretion in
administrative and executive officials
What is the Rule of Non-Delegation of Powers?
 No department of the gov’t (legis, exec &
judiciary) can abdicate authority or escape
responsibility by delegating any of its power to
another body.
 EXCEPT: when such delegation is authorized
by Consti.
 EFFECT of delegation: It is VOID under the
maxim of potestas delegate non potest delagari
What is the origin of the Rule of Non-Delegation
of Powers?
 This rule is wholly judge-made.
 Justice Laurel in People v. Vera gave the origin
as follows:
Rhys Alexei Y. Murillo
 Was introduced into the English law through
the misreading of Bracton, and it developed
as a principle of agency, as established by
Lord Coke in the English public law in
decisions forbidding the delegation of
judicial power.
What is the ethical basis for the Rule?
 Based on the principle of potestas delegate non
potest delegari
 A delegated power constitutes not only a
right but a duty to be performed by the
delegate by the instrumentality of his own
judgment and not through the intervening
mind of another.
 According to Judge Cooley
 One of the settled maxims in consti law is
that the power conferred upon the legislature
to make laws cannot be delegated by that
department to any other body or authority.
 Where the sovereign power of the state has
located the authority, it must remain there,
and by that constitutional agency alone the
laws must be made until the Consti is
changed.
 The power to whose judgment, wisdom, and
patriotism this high prerogative has been
entrusted cannot relieve itself of the
responsibility by choosing other agencies
upon which the power shall be devolved, nor
can it substitute the judgment, wisdom and
patriotism of another body for those to w/c
the people alone have seen fit to confide this
sovereign trust.
What is the applicability of this Rule to
Legislative Power?
 The rule is applicable to all 3 departments, but
has found greater persistent application to the
prohibition against the delegation of legislative
power.
 According to Locke:
 Legislative neither must nor can transfer the
power of making laws to anybody else, or
place it anywhere but where the people
have.
 Rule against delegation of legislative power is
fixed and unalterable, not depending upon the
existence of an emergency.
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ADMINISTRATIVE LAW – Atty. Chan-Gonzaga/Dean Roy
 Unconstitutional delegation of power is n o t
validated by the establishment of:
 Procedural safeguards;
 Right of judicial review; or
 Assumption that the officer acts and will
act for the public good.
Is the prohibition provided by the Rule absolute?
 The rule does not embrace every power the
legislature may properly exercise.
 Any power NOT legislative in character
which the legislature may exercise, it may
delegate.
 What the rule precludes is the:
(1) Delegation of powers which are strictly and
exclusively legislative; and
(2) The legislature’s abdication of its own
power and the conferring of such power
upon an administrative agency to be
exercised in its uncontrolled discretion.
 Supreme essential power that the legis
CANNOT delegate is the power to make law, at
least purely substantive law.
 Legislature can’t delegate to admin agencies
the determination of:
 What the law shall be
 Whom it may be applied
 What acts are necessary to effectuate the
law.
 The essentials of the legislative function are:
 The determination of the legislative
policy; and
 The formulation and promulgation as a
defined and binding rule of conduct.
(stated otherwise, it is the determination of
the legislative policy and legislative
approval of a rule of conduct to carry that
policy into execution.)
 Consti has never been regarded as denying to the
legislature the necessary resources of flexibility
and practicality to perform its functions.
 The legislature may delegate to an
administrative agency the exercise of a
limited portion of its legislative power with
respect to some specified subject matter.
What are the exceptions to non-delegation of
powers by legis?
1) When permitted by the Constitution itself;*
2) In case of delegation of legislative powers to
local gov’ts*
3) Delegation of the power to “fill in” details;
4) Delegation of rule-making and adjudicatory
powers to admin bodies, PROVIDED,
ascertainable standards are set;
Rhys Alexei Y. Murillo
II-D 2003-2004
5) Delegation of power to ascertain facts,
contingencies, or events upon which the
applicability or non-applicability of a law is
made to depend;
6) Delegation of powers to the people at large,
when such has been reserved in the Constitution;
7) Delegation of power to the executive in the field
of foreign or international relations.
* Note: Strictly speaking there are only two
instances of permissible delegation that is nos. 1&2,
exceptions no. 3-7 are exceptions in a broader sense.
What are permissible delegations under the
Constitution?
 1973 Constitution, Art. VIII, Secs. 15 & 17(2)
[these are now contained in Art. VI, Sec. 23(2)
& 28(2) of the 1987 Consti respectively]
In times of war or other national emergency, the
Nat’l Assembly (now Congress) may by law authorize
the Prime Minister (now President), for a limited
period and subject to such restrictions as it may
prescribe, to exercise powers necessary and proper to
carry out a declared national policy. Unless sooner
withdrawn by resolution of the Nat’l Assembly, such
powers shall cease upon its next adjournment.
The national assembly may by law authorize the
Prime Minister to fix within specified limits, and
subject to such limitations and restrictions as it may
impose, tariff rates, import and export quotas, tonnage
and wharfage dues, and other duties and imposts.
 In the Emergency Powers Cases, the SC
interpreted Sec. 22(2) of 1935 Consti and ruled:
 The grant of emergency powers to the
President in times of war or any other
national emergency should be for a “limited
period”. And such powers are
 Self-liquidating in nature
 Co-extensive and co-existent with the
emergency w/c gave rise to the grant
thereof.
 When Congress is able to meet and regularly
perform other duties under the Constitution,
an automatical extinction of the law
delegating such emergency powers results.
 In one case, Justice Padilla (concurring
opinion) said that:
 To withdraw, terminate or revoke the
delegation of legislative powers to the
President, a concurrent resolution
would be sufficient.
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ADMINISTRATIVE LAW – Atty. Chan-Gonzaga/Dean Roy

The concurrence of the President is
superfluous and unnecessary.

After Congress had made that
declaration that the President would no
longer exercise the legislative powers
delegated to him, it partook of a
complete and absolute revocation of the
delegation of such powers.

A bill w/c Congress passed revoking
emergency powers granted by the
President cannot be vetoed by the latter,
and even if vetoed, such bill may at least
be considered as a concurrent resolution
of Congress formally declaring the
termination of the emergency powers.
(CJ Paras, ponente)
 Sec. 15 of 1973 Consti (see left) solved the
problem by providing that the Nat’l Assembly
(Congress) need not pass a bill repealing a
statute granting emergency powers and may be
withdrawn by mere resolution.
 If not withdrawn sooner by a resolution,
such powers cease upon the next
adjournment of Congress.
 In cases of authority of President to fix tariff
rates, etc., Sec. 17, of 1973 Consti provides that
the delegated power must be exercised “within
specified limits” and “subject to such limitations
and restrictions as it may impose” to prevent a
wholesale abdication of authority by the
legislature.
 The max and min should be fixed by law
and the authority granted to Pres must be
exercised within these limits.
What is the exception of Delegation of Powers to
Local Gov’ts?
 Rule is sanctioned by the practice that delegation
to local authorities does not transgress the
principle of non-delegation.
 Local affairs shall be managed by local
authorities and general affairs by the central
authority.
 The creation of municipalities exercising
local self-government has never been held to
trench upon the rule and is not regarded as a
transfer of general legislative power but
rather as the grant of authority to prescribe:
 Local regulations accdg. to immemorial
practice
 Subject to the interposition of the
superior cases of necessity.
Rhys Alexei Y. Murillo
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 Congress is empowered to delegate this
legislative power to such agencies in the
territories it may select.
 A territory stands in the same relation to
Congress as a municipality or city to a state
government.
What are the powers usually delegated to Local
governments?
1) Part of Police Power of the state
2) Power of Taxation
3) Power of Eminent Domain
4) Creation of Municipal Offices
5) Establishment of Municipal hospitals, asylums,
poor-houses and other charitable institutions;
6) Franchises to use municipal streets
7) Incurring of Municipal Indebtedness
8) Municipal Licenses for Occupations/Privileges
9) Ownership of Public Utilities
10) Regulation and Control over Streets
11) Special Assessments and others.
What is the exception of Delegation of Power to
“Fill Up” Details?
 Matters of detail may be left by the legislature to
be filled by rules and regulations to be adopted
or promulgated by executive officers and
administrative boards.
 Legislature may only make a general
provision and give powers to those who are
to act under such general provision to fill up
the details.
 This is the subsidiary power to fill up the details
or to find facts to carry the legislative declared
policies into effect.
 Congress may declare its will, and after
fixing a primary standard, devolve upon
administrative officers, the “power to fill up
the details’ by prescribing administrative
rules and regulations.
What is the exception of Delegations of Powers to
Admin Bodies?
 With the increasing complexities of modern life,
it was found that neither the legislature nor the
courts were equipped to administer the laws.
 Legislature is not always in session and can
agree only on general policies but not on matters
of detail.
 There is also a danger that too detailed
control and regulation on the part of the
statute creating admin bodies may hamper
their efficiency and render them impotent in
the face of changing conditions.
 To enable admin agencies to achieve their
functions efficiently and effectively, the
legislature has granted to them the power to
adjudicate on cases arising w/n the scope of
their activities.
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ADMINISTRATIVE LAW – Atty. Chan-Gonzaga/Dean Roy
 SC has constantly held that there is no undue
delegation of powers to admin agencies so long
as the legislature:
(1) Lays down a policy
(2) Provides a standard by which an
administrative body may be guided.
 While it is “not necessary that Congress supply
administrative officials with a specific formula
for their guidance, it is yet mandatory that
Congress shall lay down by legislative act an
intelligible principle which the agency is bound
to follow.
What are the advantages of Delegation of Power
to Administrative Agencies?
1) It relieves the legislature of a great burden of
work in respect to which it has no special
competence, and thus enables it more largely to
direct its attention to matters of general import;
2) It entrusts the drafting of detailed provisions,
which are usually of a highly technical
character, to the agencies most familiar with the
conditions to be met and which will have the
responsibility of their enforcement;
3) It permits a great flexibility in adopting the
regulations to the different classes of individuals
or interests affected; and
4) It makes possible the prompt modification of a
provision as soon as experience demonstrates
that it is unsatisfactory.
What is the exception of Delegation of Power to
Ascertain Facts and Events to determine the
applicability of the law?
 Congress may enact a law the taking effect of
w/c is made to depend upon the happening of
future specified contingencies to be determined
by executive or administrative offices/agencies.
 The power to ascertain the existence of facts or
conditions as the basis of taking into effect of a
law may be rightfully exercised by Congress
itself and since it is NOT legislative in character,
it may be delegated.
 Cruz v. Youngberg
 To assert that a law is less than a law
because it is made to depend on a future
event or act, is to rob the legislature of the
power to act wisely for the public welfare
whenever a law is passed relating to a state
of affairs not yet developed or to things
future and impossible to fully know.
 Legislature cannot delegate its power to
make the law; but it can make a law to
delegate its power to determine some fact or
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II-D 2003-2004
state of things upon which the law makes, or
intends to make, its own action to depend.
 There are many things upon which wise and
useful legislation must depend which cannot
be known to the lawmaking power, and
must, therefore, be a subject to inquiry and
determination outside the halls of
legislation.
What is the exception of Delegation of Powers to
the People at Large?
 People in their sovereign capacity have
voluntarily delegated the power to enact laws to
the legislature, and conversely, no objection may
be raised where the people have expressly
reserved to themselves in the Consti the power
of decision with respect to certain matters.
 Under Art. XVI, Sec. 2 of 1973 Consti (now
Art. XVII, Sec. 3, 1987 Consti) the people
have reserved to themselves the finality of
decision with respect to approval of any
changes in the Consti.
What is referendum?
 It is the principle or practice of referring
measures passed upon by the legislative to a
body of voters, or electorate, for approval or
rejection.
 Also defined as the reservation by the people of
a state, or local subdivision thereof, of the right
to have submitted for their approval or rejection
under certain prescribed conditions, any law or
part of a law passed by the law making body.
 Referendum according to weight of authorities is
not violative of a republican gov’t.
What are the Tests of Validity of Delegation of
powers?
 Two tests have been resorted to by the courts in
deciding delegation of power cases these are:
(1) The completeness or incompleteness of the
statute; and
(2) The absence or sufficiency of standard.
 These two tests have apparently been merged
into one as held in Vigan Electric Light Co. Inc.,
vs. Public Service Commission & Pelaez vs.
Auditor General:
 For a valid delegation, it is essential that the
law delegating powers must both be:
a) Complete in itself – it must set forth the
policy to be executed by the delegate;
and
b) Fix a standard – the limits of which are
sufficiently determinate or determinable
– to which the delegate must conform.
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ADMINISTRATIVE LAW – Atty. Chan-Gonzaga/Dean Roy
What is the “Completeness or Incompleteness of
the Statute” Test?
 A law must be complete in all its terms and
provisions when it leaves the legislative branch
of gov’t.
 Nothing is left to the judgment of others, or
other appointee or delegate of the
legislature.
 A law is unconstitutional and deemed as an
improper delegation of legislative power where:
 It is incomplete as a legislation; and
 Authorizes an executive board to decide
what shall and what shall not be deemed as
an infringement of the law.
 A statute is COMPLETE when the following are
stated:
(1) Subject of the law
(2) The manner of its application
(3) The extent of its operation
 The test of completeness is the question of
whether the provision is sufficiently definite and
certain to enable one to know his rights and
obligations.
 It is not improper delegation when the legis
already describes in the law what job must
be done, who must do it, and the scope of
his authority.
When statutes delegate discretion, is it necessarily
incomplete?
 A statute is NOT necessarily incomplete and an
undue delegation of power because it delegates
discretion.
 It becomes incomplete depending upon the
discretion delegated. The true distinction is
between the delegation of power:
 To make the law – w/c necessarily involves
a discretion as to what the law shall be
(improper delegation)
 Conferring authority – w/c involves
discretion as to the execution of the law to
be exercised under and pursuance of the law.
(valid delegation)
What is the “Absence of Sufficiency of Standard”
Test?
 Even if a statute delegates authority, if it lays
down a policy and a definite standard by which
the executive or admin officer or board may be
guided in the exercise of his discretionary
authority, there is no undue delegation of
legislative power.
 In order for a delegation of legislative power to
the President or any admin body or officer to be
Rhys Alexei Y. Murillo
II-D 2003-2004
lawful, Justice Hughes provides for three criteria
that must be met:
(1) The “policy” must be clearly defined in the
language of the statute and not left to the
discretion of the “grantee” or “delegate”
(2) The statute must pronounce “standards” to
guide the executory behavior of the delegate
or grantee; presumably, such standards
would also have the virtue of giving the
Court something to determine, upon judicial
review, whether the subordinate action was
ultra vires in relation to the law.
(3) Formal “findings” by the delegate or
grantee would be a condition precedent to a
valid exercise of such delegated authority,
assuming that the statute satisfied the above
“policy” and “standards” criteria.
 The delegate must specify in his order
the facts and circumstances that justified
the action that he purported to take
under the statute delegating to him his
authority to act.
What is a standard? (Edu v. Ericta)
 It is a criterion laid down by the legislature by
which the policy and the purpose of the law may
be carried out.
 It defines the legislative policy, marks its limits,
and maps out its boundaries.
 It indicates the circumstances under which the
legislative command is to be effected.
Some Delegation Cases discussed in the book
(doctrines only)
 Vigan Electric Light Co., Inc. v. Public Service
Commission
 Consistently with the principle of separation
of powers w/c underlie our constitutional
system, the legislative powers may not be
delegated except to local gov’ts and only as
to matters purely of local concern.
 Congress may delegate to admin agencies
the power to supply the details in the
enforcement or execution of a policy laid
down by a law w/c is complete in itself.
 The law is not deemed complete unless
it lays down a standard or pattern
sufficiently fixed or determinate or at
least determinable without requiring
further legislation.

Without such, there would be no
reasonable means to ascertain whether
or not said body has acted w/in the
scope of his authority.
• As a consequence of such absence,
the power of legislation would be
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ADMINISTRATIVE LAW – Atty. Chan-Gonzaga/Dean Roy
exercised by a branch of gov’t other
than the legis as ordained by the
Const and violates separation of
powers.
 Schecter Poultry Co. v. United States
 The broad discretion granted to the President
in approving or prescribing codes of the fair
competition is virtually unfettered and such
code-making authority is an unconstitutional
delegation of legislative powers.
 Pelaez v. Auditor General
 The authority to create municipal
corporations is essentially and eminently
legislative in nature since they are purely
creatures of the statute.
 For Congress to validly delegate to another
branch of the gov’t the power to fill in the
details in the execution, enforcement or
administration of a law it is essential that the
law delegating the powers must be:
a) Complete in itself; and
b) Fix a standard.
 Without a statutory declaration of policy,
the delegate would in effect, make or
formulate such policy, which is the essence
of every law.
 Without the standard, there would be no
means to determine whether the delegate has
acted within or beyond the scope of his
authority.
What are “Legislative Standards” which are
considered adequate in the US and in the
Philippines?
 In the United States:
(1) “Just and reasonable”;
(2) “Unreasonable and Obstruction to
navigation”;
(3) “Public Interest”;
(4) “Reciprocally unequal and unreasonable”;
(5) “Public convenience, interest, or necessity”;
(6) “National Security or defense”;
(7) “Unfair Methods of Competition”;
(8) “Tea of an inferior quality”;
(9) “Films are in the judgment and discretion of
the Board of Censors of a moral, educational
or amusing, and harmless character”.
 In the Philippines:
(1) “Public welfare”;
(2) “Necessary in the interest of law and order”;
(3) “Public interest”;
(4) “Justice and equity and substantial merits of
the case”;
(5) “Simplicity, economy and efficiency”;
(6) “Adequate and sufficient instruction”;
Rhys Alexei Y. Murillo
II-D 2003-2004
(7) “In order to protect the international
reserves… to protect the international
stability of the peso… to maintain monetary
stability in the Philippines… to promote a
rising level of production, employment and
real income in the Phil”;
(8) “All educational institutions to observe daily
flag ceremony, which shall be simple and
dignified and shall include the playing or
singing of the Phil Nat’l Anthem.”
How has the SC applied the aforementioned
Legislative standards in its decisions? (Case
discussions in book)
 “Public Interest” as a Standard:
PEOPLE v. ROSENTHAL
(68 PHIL 28)
Act no. 2581, otherwise known as the Blue Sky
Law; requires every person, partnership or corporation
to obtain a certificate or permit from the Insular
Treasurer before offering for sale to the public
speculative securities. The Insular Treasurer, under the
law, is empowered to cancel or revoke a certificate or
permit previously issued by him. Convicted under the
penal provision of the law, Rosenthal appealed to the
SC and argued that Act 2581, insofar as it empowers
the insular treasurer to issue and cancel permits or
certificates is an undue delegation of power.
HELD:
The act furnishes the Insular
Treasurer sufficient standard to follow in reaching a
decision regarding the issuance or cancellation of a
certification or permit. He is empowered to issue a
permit only when his is satisfied that the applicant has
complied with the provisions of the said Act. On the
other hand, the authority of the Insular Treasurer to
cancel or revoke a certificate or permit is expressly
conditioned upon a finding that such a cancellation is
in the public interest. In view of the intention and
purpose of the Act to protect the public against
“speculative schemes which have no more basis than
so many feet of blue sky” and against the “sale of stock
in fly-by night concerns, visionary oil wells, distant
gold mines, and other like fraudulent exploitation,” –
public interest in this case is a sufficient standard to
guide the Insular Treasurer.
 “Public Convenience and Interest” as a
Standard:
CALALANG v. WILLIAMS
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ADMINISTRATIVE LAW – Atty. Chan-Gonzaga/Dean Roy
(70 PHIL 726)
Commonwealth Act 548 authorized the Dir. Of
Public Works, with the approval of the Sec. of Public
Works and Communications to promulgate rules and
regulations for the regulation and control of the use and
traffic on national roads. The Dir. of Public Works,
with the approval of the Sec., and upon the
recommendation of the National Traffic Commission,
issued an order closing to animal-drawn vehicles,
certain portions of Rizal Ave and Rosario St., both in
the City of Manila. Petitioner challenges the
constitutionality of said order as having been issued
pursuant to an undue delegation of power.
HELD:
There is no undue delegation of
power. The authority delegated to the Dir. of Public
Works is not to determine what public policy demands
or what the law shall be, but merely the ascertainment
of facts and circumstances upon which the application
of the law is to be predicated. Under the law in
question, the promulgation of rules and regulations on
the use of national roads and the determination of when
and how long a national road should be closed to
traffic, is to be made with a view of the condition of
the road or the traffic thereon and the requirements of
public convenience and interest. Definite standards
are therefore provided in the law.
 “Simplicity, Economy and Efficiency “as a
Standard:
CERVANTES v. AUDITOR GENERAL
(GR No. L-4043, prom. May 26, 1952)
Petitioner was in 1949, the manager on the
NAFCO with the salary of P15T a year. By resolution
of the Board of Dir of the said corporation, he was
granted quarters allowance of not exceeding P400 a
month. Submitted to the Control Committee of the
Gov’t Enterprises Council for approval, said resolution
was disapproved on the strength of the
recommendation of the NAFCO auditor concurred in
by the Auditor General. The Gov’t Enterprises
Council was created by the President under EO 93
pursuant to RA 51, which authorizes the President to
effect such reforms and changes in GOCC’s for the
purpose of promoting “simplicity, economy, and
efficiency in operations”. Petitioner challenged the
action of the Gov’t Enter. Council and contended that
EO 93 is an undue delegation of power.
HELD:
So long as the legislature lays down a
policy and a standard is established by the statute, there
Rhys Alexei Y. Murillo
II-D 2003-2004
is no undue delegation of power. RA 51 in authorizing
the President, among others, to make reforms and
changes in GOCC’s lays down a standard policy that
the purpose shall be to met the exigencies attendant
upon the establishment of the free and independent
Gov’t of the Philippines and to promote simplicity,
economy and efficiency in their operation. The
standard was set and the policy fixed. The President
had to carry the mandate. This he did by promulgating
EO 93 which, tested by the rules above cited, does not
constitute an undue delegation of legislative power.
 To Maintain Monetary Stability“ as a Standard:
PEOPLE v. JOLLIFFE
(GR No. L-9552, prom. May 13, 1959)
On Dec. 7, 1953, when appellant was about to
board a plane of the Pan American World Airways,
four pieces of gold bullion were found in his body.
There was also found in his possession a $100
traveler’s check. He was charged with and convicted
of violation of RA 265 and sentenced to imprisonment,
to pay fine and costs, as well as decreeing the forfeiture
in favor of the Gov’t of the gold bullion and the
traveler’s check. He appealed and among others
challenged the validity of Circular No. 21 of the
Central Bank on the ground that it is an undue
delegation of powers.
HELD:
Distinction should be made between
the delegation of the power to determine what the law
shall be and the delegation of authority to fix the
details in the execution or enforcement of a policy set
out in the law itself. The delegated authority falls
under the second category for which a reasonable
standard has been set. Sec 74 of RA 265 conferred
upon the Monetary Board and the President the power
to subject to licensing all transactions in gold and
foreign exchange in order to protect the international
reserve of the Central bank during an exchange crisis
and to give the Board and the Gov’t time in which to
take constructive measures to combat such crisis. The
Board is likewise authorized “to take such appropriate
remedial measures as are appropriate” to protect the
international stability of the p e s o whenever the
international reserve is falling, as a result of the
payment or remittance abroad w/c, in the opinion of the
Board, are contrary to the national welfare.
Furthermore, these powers must be construed and
exercised in relation to the objectives of the law to
maintain monetary stability in the Phil and to promote
a rising level of production employment and real
income in the Phil. These standards are sufficiently
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concrete and definite to vest in the delegated authority
the character of administrative details in the
enforcement of the law and to place the grant of said
authority beyond the category of a delegation of
legislative power.
 “Simplicity and Dignity” as a Standard:
GIL BALBUNA v. SEC OF EDUCATION
(GR No. L-14283, prom. Nov. 29, 1960)
Petitioners, members of the religious sect
“Jehovah’s Witnesses” challenged the constitutionality
of RA 1265 by virtue of w/c the Sec. of Education
issued Dept. Order No. 8, prescribing compulsory flag
ceremony in all schools as an undue delegation of
legislative power. Sec 1 of the said act requires all
educational institutions to observe daily flag ceremony,
which shall be simple and dignified and shall include
the playing or singing of the Phil National anthem. Sec
2 thereof authorizes the Sec of Educ to issue rules and
regulations for the proper conduct of the flag
ceremony.
HELD:
The requirements constitute an
adequate standard to wit, simplicity and dignity of the
flag ceremony and the singing of the national anthem –
especially when contrasted with other standards
heretofore upheld by the courts such as public interest,
public welfare, interest of law and order, justice and
equity, and substantial merits of the case, or adequate
and efficient instruction. That the legislature did not
specify the details of the flag ceremony is no objection
to the validity of the statute, for all that is required of it
is the laying down of standard and policy that will limit
the discretion of the regulatory agency. To require the
statute to establish in detail the manner of exercise of
the delegated power would be to destroy the
administrative flexibility that the delegation is intended
to achieve.
Where should the “Legislative Standard” be
located and found?
 It is desirable that it be embodied in the very
provision of the statute delegating the authority,
although it may be found elsewhere like when
other provisions are considered.
 The purpose of the law may NOT be left out in
the ascertainment of the standard.
 The standards need not be tested in isolation
but referred to the purpose of the law, its
factual background and its statutory context.
II-D 2003-2004
What are the two fundamental concepts that
emerged from the Rule of Delegation of Powers to
Admin agencies?
 From the principles governing the rule against
delegation of powers and the exceptions, the two
fundamental concepts are:
(1) The legislature MAY NOT confer discretion
in the execution or administration of the
law; and
(2) The legislature MUST DECLARE a policy
and FIX a standard in enacting a statute
conferring discretionary power upon an
administrative agency.
 The agency may be authorized to “fill
up the details” in promoting the purpose
of the legislation and carrying it into
effect.
 Although in general, the power to legislate
CANNOT be delegated, the legislature has the
right to delegate to designated agencies certain
powers of fact-finding and regulation it
possesses as long as legislature:
 Fixes the limits within w/c such powers are
to be exercised.
What are the powers vested in the Legislature by
the Consti w/c cannot be delegated to Admin
agencies?
 The powers to:
 Declare whether or not there shall be a law
 To determine the general purpose or policy
to be achieved by the law
 To fix the limits within which the law shall
operate
Can the Legislature delegate the above powers
without violating the Constitutional prohibition?
 Where the legislature has laid down the
fundamentals of a law (as discussed above, e.g.
policy and standard), it may delegate to
administrative agencies the authority to exercise
such legislative power as is necessary to carry
into effect the general legislative purpose.
Is there a need for “Clear Legislative Intent to
Delegate” in cases of delegation of powers?
 Legislature may confer on admin boards or
bodies quasi-judicial, powers involving the
exercise of judgment and discretion, as an
incident to the performance of admin functions.
 Legislature MUST state its intention in
EXPRESS terms that would leave not doubt.
 To be valid, the exercise of quasi-judicial
powers conferred must:
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ADMINISTRATIVE LAW – Atty. Chan-Gonzaga/Dean Roy
 Be limited to only those:
 Incidental to, or
 In connection with the performance of
admin duties; and
 NOT amount to conferment of jurisdiction
over a matter exclusively vested in courts.
 Bill Miller v. Atanacio A. Mardo et al.
 Judicial powers are vested only in the SC
and in such inferior courts as may be
established by law.
 The legislature could not have intended to
grant such powers to the Reorganization
Commission, an executive body, as the
Legislature MAY NOT and CANNOT
delegate its power to legislate or create
courts of justice to any other agency of the
gov’t.
 The legislature must state its intention in
express terms when conferring upon admin
boards or bodies quasi-judicial powers
involving the exercise of judgment and
discretion as incident to the performance of
admin functions.
What is Subdelegation in Administrative
Agencies?
 It is the transmission of authority from the heads
of agencies to subordinates.
 “Sound principles of organization demand that
those at the top be able to concentrate their
attention upon the larger more important
questions of policy and practice, and that their
time be freed, so far as possible, from the
consideration of the smaller and less important
matters of detail.”
What is the Extent of Permissible Subdelegation
of Authority?
 The permissible extent depends primarily upon
the intent of the legislature.
 The general principle of “delegates potestas non
potest delegare” provides that a delegated power
may not be further delegated by the person to
whom such power is delegated.
 Merely ministerial functions may be delegated
to assistants whose employment is authorized.
 There is NO authority to delegate (subdelegate)
acts discretionary or quasi-judicial in nature.
 Authority from the legislature is necessary
to the power of a commission to appoint a
general deputy who may exercise quasijudicial powers.
Rhys Alexei Y. Murillo
II-D 2003-2004
 An officer who is required to exercise his own
judgment and discretion in making an order is
not precluded from utilizing, as a matter of
practical administrative procedure, the aid of
subordinates directed by him to investigate and
report the facts and their recommendation in
relation to the advisability of the order.
 Administrative authorities having the power to
determine certain questions after a hearing may
make use of subordinates to hold the hearing,
and make their determinations upon the report of
the subordinates, without violating the principles
as to fairness of hearing or delegation of powers.

CHAPTER IV
POWERS AND FUNCTIONS OF
ADMINISTRATIVE AGENCIES
What is the Source and Scope of the Powers and
Functions of Administrative Agencies?
 Powers and functions of Admin agencies are
defined either in:
(1) Constitution;
(2) Legislation; or
(3) Both.
 Admin boards, commissions, and officers have
no common-law powers.
What is the effect if the powers and functions are
created by statutes or left only to be defined by
thelegislature?
 Such powers are limited only to those that are
conferred expressly or by fair implication.
 An admin officer, has only such powers as are
expressly granted to him and those necessarily
implied in the exercise thereof.
 Makati Stock Exchange Inc., v. SEC
 The test is not whether the Act forbids the
Commission for imposing a prohibition but
whether it empowers the Commission to
prohibit.
 No specific portion of the statute has been
cited to uphold this power.
 It is fundamental that an administrative
officer has only such powers as are
expressly granted to him by the statute, and
those necessarily implied in the exercise
thereof.
How should the Grant of Powers to Admin
Agencies be Construed?
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ADMINISTRATIVE LAW – Atty. Chan-Gonzaga/Dean Roy
 General language describing the powers and
functions of an administrative body may be
construed to extend no further than the specific
duties and powers conferred in the same
statute.
 In determining whether the admin agency has a
certain power, the authority given should be
liberally construed in the light of:
(1) The purposes for which it is created; and
(2) That which is incidentally necessary to a
full exposition of the legislative intent
should be upheld as being germane to
the law.
 In the construction of a grant of powers, it is a
general principle of law that where the end is
required, the appropriate means are given.
 Implication of necessary powers may be
especially appropriate in the field of internal
administration.
 Powers should NOT be extended by implication
beyond what may be necessary for their just and
reasonable execution.
 Official powers cannot be merely assumed
by administrative officers, nor can they be
created by the courts in the exercise of their
judicial functions.
What are the Powers usually exercised by Admin
Agencies?
 The powers and functions usually granted to and
exercised by administrative agencies are:
(1) Rule making
(2) Adjudication
(3) Incidental powers such as:
a. Investigating
b. Supervising
c. Prosecuting
d. Advising
e. Declaring
f. Informally adjudicating.
What is the Administrative Rule-Making or
Quasi-Legislative Power?
 It is the power to:
(1) Promulgate rules and regulations or general
orders which are legally binding and receive
statutory force upon going into effect; and
(2) Formulate interpretative rulings or
regulations w/c do NOT receive statutory
force but are accorded great weight when
questioned in court.
 SC has held that an agency that issues rules and
regulations has in a sense auxiliary or
subordinate legislative powers and is therefore
legislation on the administrative level.
Rhys Alexei Y. Murillo
II-D 2003-2004
What is the test in Determining the Nature of the
Power?
 The test as to whether a power is strictly
legislative or whether it is administrative is to
determine whether its exercise involves a
discretion as to:
 What the law shall be – this is a legislative
powers which cannot be validly delegated to
an admin body
 The declaration and establishment of the
policy of the law, cannot be delegated to
nor exercised by admin agencies.
 Merely the authority to fix the details in the
execution or enforcement of a policy set
out in the law itself – this is merely a
administrative or quasi-legislative power,
and can be validly delegated.
 The authority to make rules and
regulations to carry out a policy
declared by the lawmakers is
administrative and not legislative.
 It is to be remembered that if allowed,
administrative legislation should be exercised
within the framework or confines (standards) of
the provisions allowing regulatory powers on the
agency and the policy of the statute w/c it
administers.
What are the General Kinds of Administrative
Rules & Regulations?
1) Supplementary or Detailed Legislation
 Rules and regulations issued by reason of
particular delegation of authority.
2) Interpretative Rules and Regulations
 Rules and regulations constructing or
interpreting the statute being administered
3) Contingent Legislation
 Rules and regulations involving
determination under a delegated power
whether a statute shall go into effect
What are Supplementary or Detailed
Legislations?
 These are issued by an administrative agency
pursuant to a delegated authority to fix “the
details” in the execution or enforcement of a
policy set out in the law itself.
 They add to the procedural or enforcing
provisions of substantive law w/c in a sense
involve the exercise of discretion of the
lawmaker in the administrative body, to be
exercised within the confines of definite
prescribed standards.
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ADMINISTRATIVE LAW – Atty. Chan-Gonzaga/Dean Roy
 Often referred to as the “filling of details or
“subjects… of interest” to carry out the policy
laid down by the lawmakers.
 Ex: CB Circulars regulating transactions
involving gold or foreign exchange issued
under RA 265 in order to protect the
international reserves of the Central Bank.
What are Interpretative Rules and Regulations?
 These are the rules and regulations issued by an
administrative authority construing or
interpreting the provision of a statute to be
enforced and they are binding upon all
concerned until they are changed.
 Official construction of the law and valid if they
properly construe the statute the administrative
agency is bound to enforce.
 E.g.: General Circular Issued by Collector of
Internal Revenue (providing that all losses of
property during WWII are deductive in the year
of actual loss) is interpretative of Sec. 30(d) of
NIRC.
What are Contingent Legislations?
 These are rules and determinations made by an
administrative authority on the existence of the
proper occasion for the enforcement or
application of the law.
 This is pursuant to a “delegation of
authority to determine some facts or state of
things upon which the enforcement of the act
depends”
 The Reason behind this is that Congress may
enact a law the taking effect of which is made to
depend upon the happening of future specified
contingencies to be determined by executive or
administrative officers or agencies.
 The power to ascertain facts is a power NOT
essentially legislative and may be delegated.
What is Administrative Construction and
Interpretation?
 Admin agencies in the discharge of their duties
are necessarily called upon to construe and apply
the law under which they function.
 The necessity for the exercise of the power of
construction and interpretation does NOT:
 Change the character of a ministerial duty;
or
 Involve an unlawful use of legislative or
judicial power.
 Admin agencies may also interpret their own
rules which have the force and effect of law.
 These are appropriate aids toward eliminating
construction and uncertainty in doubtful cases.
Rhys Alexei Y. Murillo
II-D 2003-2004
 Clarifying regulations or one indicating the
method of application of a statute to specific
cases is permissible when a statute uses
ambiguous terms or is of doubtful
construction.
What is the effect of Administrative Construction
and Interpretation?
 It provides:
 A practical guide as to how the agency will
seek to apply the law; and
 An experienced and informed judgment to
which courts and litigants may properly
resort for guidance.
 The construction extends beyond meeting the
necessities of administration and is given effect
by courts when they are called upon to
determine the true construction and
interpretation of such laws.
What is the effect of relying upon an
interpretative regulation promulgated by
administrative bodies?
 One who chooses to rely upon an interpretative
regulation does so at his own risk, because the
courts may choose not to follow them.
 The fact that an interpretation has been made by
regulation or otherwise, does not preclude a
subsequent different, but correct, interpretation
by the agency.
What is the effect of an erroneous construction of
a statute by an administrative agency?
 It cannot operate to confer a legal right in
accordance with such construction.
Do administrative constructions and
interpretations control a court’s decision as to the
proper construction of the statute?
 No. But, generally or in particular
circumstances, courts give it great weight and
such may have a very persuasive influence and
may actually be regarded by the courts as the
controlling factor.
 In cases of doubt, there is an inclination to adopt
the administrative construction, which will NOT
be disturbed by the courts EXCEPT for cogent
and persuasive reasons and clear conviction of
error.
 This is particularly true with regard to
regulations enacted pursuant to a broad rulemaking power existing under a statute
conferring a privilege to be exercised “under
regulations prescribed” by an administrative
agency.
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ADMINISTRATIVE LAW – Atty. Chan-Gonzaga/Dean Roy
What is the effect of a Change in Construction?
 A construction of a statute by those
administering it, even though long continued, is
NOT binding on them or their successors IF,
thereafter, they become satisfied that a different
construction should be given.
 RATIO: Prior administrative practice is always
subject to change through exercise by the
administrative agency of its continuing rule
making power.
When is Notice and Hearing in the Promulgations
of Rules and Regulations NOT Required?
 There is no constitutional necessity for a hearing
as prerequisite to the promulgation of a general
regulation by an admin body.
 In the absence of a statutory restriction, an
administrative agency may ascertain in any
manner it sees fit what rules should be made.
 When the rule is procedural in nature or where
the agency’s “rules” are in effect no more than
legal opinions, no notice is required.
 Notice is also NOT required in the preparation
of substantive rules where:
(1) The class to be affected is large
(2) Questions to be resolved involve the use of
wide discretion which has been committed
to the rule-making agency
When is Notice and Hearing in the Promulgations
of Rules and Regulations Required?
 Actual notice and opportunity for hearing may
be required if the rule or order is:
(1) directed specifically to a party or a compact
group; and
(2) The administrative agency exercises only a
limited degree of discretion.
*Note: The rules (WON hearing is required) are
subject to the statutory requirements or restrictions
upon administrative agencies.
If required, what kind of Notice and Hearing
should administrative agencies employ?
 Where notice and hearing are required before the
promulgation of a regulation, the admin agency
concerned is NOT required to conduct a quasijudicial proceeding.
 It is sufficient if it is of the same order as had
been given by congressional committees when
the legislative process was in the hands of the
Congress.
 It need NOT be shown that the rule or order is
supported by evidence taken at the hearing,
EXCEPT when there is a specific statutory
requirement for such.
Rhys Alexei Y. Murillo
II-D 2003-2004
Is the power to fix Rates Legislative or QuasiJudicial?
 It partakes a legislative character when:
 Rules and/or rates laid down by an
administrative body are meant to apply to all
enterprises of a given kind, throughout the
Philippines. (No previous notice or hearing
is required in these cases.)
 It partakes a judicial character when:
 Rules and/or rates apply:
(1) Exclusively to a particular party
(2) It is predicated upon a finding of fact
(based upon a report submitted by the
Gen Auditing Office)
(3) Such fact is denied by said party.
 In these cases, SC has held that in making
said findings of fact, the agency performed a
function partaking of a quasi-judicial
character w/c demands previous notice and
hearing for its valid exercise.
What are the Requisites for the Validity of
Administrative Rules and Regulations?
1) The rules and regulations must have been issued
on the authority of law;
2) The rules and regulations must be within the
scope and purview of the law; and
3) Rules and regulations must be reasonable.
Explain the First Requisite.
 It is essential that the authority of an admin
agency to issue them must be based upon some
legislative act.
 There must be a law authorizing it to issue rules
and regulations.
Explain the Second Requisite.
 Rules and Regulations must be within the
authority conferred upon the admin agency.
 A rule which is broader than the statute
empowering the making of the rules cannot
be sustained.
 Admin authorities must strictly adhere to the
standards, policies, and limitations provided in
the statutes vesting power to them.
 Regulations are valid only as subordinate rules
when found to be within the framework of the
policy which the legislature has sufficiently
defined.
 The regulations adopted under legislative
authority must be in execution of or
supplementary to, but not in conflict with, the
law itself.
 As long as the regulations relate solely to
carrying into effect the provisions of the
law, they are valid.
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ADMINISTRATIVE LAW – Atty. Chan-Gonzaga/Dean Roy
 The delegated power cannot extend to amending
or adding to the requirements of the statute
itself.
 It is to be presumed that the regulations adopted
were to carry out only the provisions of the
statute and NOT to embrace matters not
covered, nor intended to be covered thereby.
 Administrative rules and regulations must be
germane to the object and purpose of the law
and conform to the standards that the law
prescribes.
 They cannot supplant the plain and explicit
command of the statute. An admin agency
cannot amend an act of Congress.
Explain the Third Requisite.
 Admin agencies may not act arbitrarily and
capriciously in the enactment of rules and
regulations in the exercise of their delegated
powers.
 Whether required by statute or judicial
decisions, the regulations must be reasonable to
be valid.
 They must be reasonably adapted to secure the
end in view, and are invalid if shown to bear no
reasonable relation to the purposes for which
they are authorized to be made.
 Rules and regulations must:
(1) Be reasonably directed to the
accomplishment of the purposes of the
statute under which they are made,
(2) Tend to its enforcement, or
(3) Be reasonable adapted to secure the end in
view.
 The requirement simply means that the
regulation must be based upon reasonable
grounds – that is supported by good reasons.
 Reasonableness of rules and regulations are
determined by:
a) Their relationship to the statutory
scheme they are designed to
supplement, protect and enforce.
b) Stated objectives of the legislation.
 Whether a regulation is reasonable depends on
the character or nature of the conditions to be
met or overcome, and the nature of the subject
matter of a rule may affect its reasonableness.
 Ex: Regulation of activities involving mere
privileges (sale of alcohol, conduct of jai
alai) is accorded liberal judicial support, and
the court is slow to find such regulations
unreasonable.
II-D 2003-2004
 An administrator has a large range or choice in
determining what regulations or standards
should be adopted.
 One cannot object and claim that another
choice could reasonably have been made, or
that experts disagreed over the desirability
of a particular standard or that some method
of regulation would have accomplished the
same purpose and would have been less
onerous.
 It is enough that:
 The administrator has acted within the
statutory bounds of his authority; and
 His choice among possible alternatives,
adapted to the statutory ends, is one
which a reasonable person could have
made.
What is the Power to fix Rates and Charges?
 The power to fix or limit the rates or charges
exacted by public service corporations, such as
railroads and other carriers, telephone
companies, gas, electric, power, and bridge
companies may be conferred upon
administrative authorities without involving any
unlawful delegation of legislative power.
 Same rule has been applied in the regulation of
prices in other businesses, personal services and
commodity prices.
 Authorizing a commission to change existing
rats fixed by legislature itself is valid for in such
a case, the legislature itself has repealed the
prior enactment, only leaving to the commission
to fix the time when such repeal shall become
operative.
 The only standard that legislature must prescribe
for the guidance of the administrative authorities
is that the rate be reasonable and just.
 This standard is implied in the absence of an
express requirement as to reasonableness.
Can Administrative Agencies promulgate
Administrative Rules with Penal Sanctions?
 Any criminal or penal sanction for the violations
of such rules and regulations MUST come from
the legislature itself.
 Admin authorities may NOT initiate such
sanctions.
 To declare what shall constitute a crime and how
it shall be punished is a power vested solely in
the legislature and it may NOT be delegated to
any other body or agency.
 Prescribing of penalties is a legislative
function.
 A Commission may not be empowered to
impose such penalties for violations of
Rhys Alexei Y. Murillo
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ADMINISTRATIVE LAW – Atty. Chan-Gonzaga/Dean Roy
duties which it creates under a statute
permitting it to make rules.
Is the abovementioned prohibition absolute?
 The legislature may validly provide a criminal or
penal sanction for the violation of the rules and
regulations which it may empower
administrative authorities to enact.
What are the Requisites for the Validity of
Administrative Regulations with Penal
Sanctions?
1) The law authorizing administrative authorities to
issue rules and regulations must itself declare as
punishable the violation of rules and regulations
issued under its authority.
2) The law should define or fix the penalty for the
violation of rules and regulations.
3) Publication in the Official Gazette be made.
What is an illustration of the above
Requirements?
Under Sec 6 of RA 3018 which nationalizes the
rice and corn industries in the Philippines, the Rice
and Corn Board is authorized to “issue such rules
and regulations as may be necessary to carry out the
provisions of this Act.” Sec. 7 of the same RA
provides: “Violation of the provisions of this Act or
any rules and regulations issued thereunder shall be
punished by imprisonment of not less than 5 yrs nor
more than 10 yrs and a fine of not less than 5T no
more than 10T and immediate deportation.
 In this particular case (requirement #1) it is
the law itself authorizing the issuance of
rules and regulations and that declares as
punishable the violation “of any rules and
regulations issued thereunder”.
 It is also the law (requirement #2) which
prescribes the penalty for such violation.
 People v. Manceren (electro-fishing case)
 SC held that admin agencies are clothed
with rule-making power because the
lawmaking body finds it impracticable, if
not impossible to anticipate and provide for
the multifarious and complex situations that
may be encountered in enforcing the law.
 All that is required is that the regulations
should be germane to the standards that
the law prescribes.
 Admin regulations adopted under legislative
authority must be in harmony with the
provision of law, and should be for the sole
Rhys Alexei Y. Murillo
II-D 2003-2004
purpose of carrying into effect its general
provisions.
 The regulations should NOT extend the
law itself.
When is Publication of Administrative Rules and
Regulations Necessary?
 Administrative rules and regulations which are
general in character and which carry criminal
or penal sanctions, publication is necessary.
 While such are not statutes or law, these are
issued in implementation of the laws
authorizing their issuance and have the force
and effect of law.
 RATIO: General principle and theory that
before the public is bound by their contents,
especially their penal provisions, such
regulations must first be published and the
people officially and specifically informed
of their contents and penalties.
 Art. 2, NCC provides that laws are to take effect
15 days following the completion of their
publication in the OG, UNLESS otherwise
provided.
When is Publication of Administrative Rules and
Regulations NOT Necessary?
 The requirement above does not apply when the
administrative regulation:
(1) Merely interprets the provision of a law
being administered for the proper guidance
of those concerned; and
(2) Merely furnishes the implementing details
of another regulation already duly published.
What is the Legal Force and Effect of
Administrative Rules and Regulations?
 Rules and regulations, and General Orders
enacted by admin authorities pursuant to the
powers delegated to them have the force and
effect of law and are:
 Binding on all persons subject to them; and
 Courts will take judicial notice of them.
 Compliance with valid admin rules and
regulations is compliance with the law.
 Regulations in accordance with specific
delegated authority in the enabling act have
uniformly been held to have the force and effect
of law if found to have been in consonance and
in harmony with the general purposes and
objects of the enabling or governing acts.
 Rules on procedure, pleading, evidence and
practice promulgated by an administrative
agency under proper delegatory authority have
the force and effect of law as well.
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ADMINISTRATIVE LAW – Atty. Chan-Gonzaga/Dean Roy
Do Administrative Interpretative rulings have
statutory force?
 Interpretative rulings DO NOT have statutory
force but are accorded great weight when
questioned in the court and will not be
overturned unless such are patently erroneous.
How Should Administrative Rules and
Regulations be Construed?
 Rules made in the exercise of a power delegated
by statute should be construed together with the
statute.
 Same rules of construction which apply to
statutes also govern the construction and
interpretation of admin rules and
regulations.
 If it can fairly be done, the rule should be so
construed and applied to make it conform to the
powers conferred upon the administrative body,
rather than as being an assumption of power not
so conferred.
 NO retroactive application UNLESS the
intention to have it so operate clearly appears.
 After an interpretative regulation has been
“ratified” by the legislative enactment and was
otherwise valid, a new and different
interpretative regulation could not be
retroactively applied to the prejudice of an
individual who had relied on the former valid
interpretation.
II-D 2003-2004

CHAPTER V
ADMINISTRATIVE ADJUDICATION
What is the Adjudicating or Quasi-Judicial
Power of Admin Bodies?
 It is the power to hear and determine, or
ascertain facts in the enforcement and
administration of a law.
 In its general sense, it has been defined as any
power of an administrative agency other than
rule-making but including licensing.
Quasi-Judicial v. Judicial Power.
Quasi-Judicial
Judicial
Function is primarily
administrative and power
to hear and determine
controversies is granted as
an incident to the admin
duty
Exercisable by
administrative authorities
Limited as a result of its
expertise to the
ascertainment of the
decisive facts
Duty is primarily to decide
question of legal rights
between private parties,
such decision being the
primary object and not
merely incidental to
regulation or some admin
function.
Exercisable only by courts.
Entrusted with the
determination of all legal
questions.
How are Administrative Rules and Regulations
Repealed?
 An admin body does not exhaust its power to
make rules and regulations by having made a
particular enactment.
 It may modify or repeal its rules or
regulations, and a later regulation does NOT
revoke an earlier one by implication, if there
is nothing in the second one inconsistent
with the continuance of the first.
Administrative Rule-Making v. Quasi-Judicial
Power.
Administrative RuleAdministrative
Making
Adjudication
 Where a commission has made an order having
a dual aspect as legislative in one respect and
judicial in another, it may not in subsequent
proceedings act in its quasi-legislative capacity
and retroactively repeal its own enactment.
Prospective in that it
envisages the promulgation
of a rule or regulation
generally applicable in the
future
What is the Extent of the Acts of Administrative
Agencies?
 Duly executed acts of admin bodies can have
legal effects beyond the life span of that body.
How are Quasi-Judicial Powers conferred?
 Legislature may confer on administrative boards
or bodies quasi-judicial powers involving the
exercise of judgment and discretion as incident
to the performance of administrative functions.
 Rules and regulations issued under a law
expressly providing that “they shall be in full
force and effect until Congress of the Phil shall
otherwise provide” are good only up to the life
of the law itself.
Rhys Alexei Y. Murillo
Consists of the issuance of
rules and regulations
Admin rule or regulation
has general applicability
Refers to its end product
called, order, award or
decision
Applies only to a specific
situation, hence it is
particular and immediate
Present determination of
rights, privileges and duties
as of a previous or present
time or concurrence.
What are the limitations of the Quasi-Judicial
Powers?
(1) The legislature must state its intention in
express terms that would leave no doubt, as
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ADMINISTRATIVE LAW – Atty. Chan-Gonzaga/Dean Roy
such quasi-judicial prerogatives must be limited
only to those:
a. Incidental to, or
b. In connection with the performance of
admin duties.
(2) The grant must not amount to conferment of
jurisdiction over a matter exclusively vested in
the courts.
What are the Classifications of Adjudicating
Powers?
 Adjudicatory or quasi-judicial powers also
called determinative powers are generally
classified into:
(1) Enabling Powers; and
(2) Directing Powers.
What are Enabling powers?
 Refer to those powers granted to administrative
bodies to permit or allow something which the
law undertakes to regulate to be done by their
approval.
 The chief application of this power is of course,
in the granting or denial of licenses to engage in
a particular business or occupation.
 Examples:
 Power of the Board of Transportation to
issue certificates of public convenience
or necessity.

Power of SEC to permit the issuance of
securities

Powers of Phil Patent Office to issue
patents and copyrights, and register
trade-marks and trade names

Power of Central Bank to license Banks.
What are Directing Powers?
 These include the powers of abstract
determination – such as definition, valuation,
classification and fact finding – and dispensing,
examining and summary powers.
 Illustrated by:
 Corrective powers of Public Utility
Commissions,
 Powers of assessment under the revenue
and assessment laws
 Reparations under Public Utility Laws
 Awards under the workmen’s
compensation laws
What are the Kinds of Directing Powers?
 Directing powers are further classified into:
(1) Dispensing Powers
(2) Examining Powers
(3) Summary Powers
II-D 2003-2004
 Refers to the authority to:
 Exempt from or relax a general prohibition,
 Ex: Authority of zoning boards to vary
the provisions of a zoning statute or
ordinance.
- OR  Relieve from an affirmative duty.
 Ex: Authority of Public Service
commission to permit the abandonment
of service by carriers.
What are Examining Powers?
 Also known as investigatory or inquisitorial
powers which include the power to inspect or to
secure or to require the disclosure of information
by means or accounts, records or otherwise.
 Powers included in the investigatory or
inquisitorial powers are:
(1) Subpoena
(2) Swearing of Witnesses
(3) Interrogating Witnesses
(4) Calling for Production of books, papers and
records
(5) Requiring that books, papers and records be
made available for inspection
(6) Inspection of premises
(7) Requiring written answers to questionnaires
(8) Requiring reports, periodic or special
(9) Requiring of filing of Statements
What are Summary Powers?
 Refer to the authority of administrative agencies
to apply compulsion or force against person or
property to effectuate a legal purpose without
judicial warrant to authorize such action.
 These powers are exemplified by the authority
of admin agencies in the fields of health,
banking, agriculture, animals, aliens, game laws,
building regulations, licenses, nuisances,
schools, taxation and other fields.
 In the absence of a statutory grant of power,
admin authorities MAY NOT themselves
enforce their determinations, at least not by
direct and positive action.
 Ex: Collector under the NIRC may resort to the
summary proceedings of distraint and levy for
the collection of taxes.
What is the Nature of the Administrative
Proceedings in the Exercise of Quasi-Judicial
Powers?
 They partake of the nature of a judicial
proceeding.
 A proceeding requiring the taking and
weighing of evidence, the determination of
facts based upon the consideration of
evidence and the making of an order
What are Dispensing Powers?
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supported by findings has a quality
resembling that of a judicial proceeding.
consent of the parties, nor can they be made
effective by waiver or estoppel.
 Described as a proceeding of Quasi-judicial
character.
What is the effect on the Jurisdiction of Admin
Agencies by the Expiration of a Law providing
for such jurisdiction?
 The expiration of a law, unlike abrogation, will
NOT divest an admin body of its lawfullyacquired jurisdiction over a case.
What is the Necessity of Jurisdiction in Admin
Proceedings?
 Jurisdiction is essential to give validity to the
determinations of administrative authorities.
 Without jurisdiction, acts are void and open
to collateral attack.
 RATIO: Admin Authorities are tribunals of
limited jurisdiction.
 Their jurisdiction is dependent entirely upon
the provisions of the statutes reposing power
in them.
 If the provisions of the statute are not met
and complied with, they have no
jurisdiction.
What are the Sources of Jurisdiction?
 The limited jurisdiction of these tribunals may
proceed from the constitution or statute.
 If established by Constitution
 A statute attempting to enlarge such
jurisdiction is unconstitutional.
 Constitutional amendment relating to its
jurisdiction cannot have a retroactive effect
so as to embrace a case arising and decided
prior to the amendment.
 If derived from Statutes
 Jurisdiction is dependent entirely upon the
validity and the terms of the statutes
reposing power in them.
 Admin agencies cannot confer jurisdiction
on themselves.
 If at least the basic mandatory provisions ad
the condition precedent are not met and
complied with, admin agencies have no
jurisdiction.
Can jurisdiction of Admin agencies be affected by
the Consent, Waiver or Estoppel of the party
litigants?
 An admin agency CANNOT enlarge its own
jurisdiction nor can jurisdiction be conferred
upon the agency by parties before it.
 Deviations from an agency’s statutorily
established sphere of action cannot be upheld
because based upon agreement, contract, or
Rhys Alexei Y. Murillo
 Expiration of statute may be held NOT to
deprive an admin agency of jurisdiction to
enforce the statute as to liabilities incurred while
such was in force, where a general saving
statute continues such liabilities.
 If there is NO saving clause, a repeal of a
statute while proceedings are pending and
prior to the filing of an order may remove
any support in law for such order.
*NOTE: Simultaneous repeal and re-enactment of
substantially the same statute is regarded at common
law as a substitution and not a repeal.
What is a substituted statute?
 A Substituted statute is construed as a
continuation of the original provisions and the
jurisdiction of a board is NOT disturbed nor its
order voided.
Is Due Process required in Administrative
Proceedings?
 Constitutional Guaranty of Due process of law
must be observed in order to preserve personal
and property rights against the arbitrary action of
public officials.
 Extends to all whose legal rights may be
involved and concluded by the determination of
the board in proceedings.
What are the Elements of Administrative Due
Process?
1) There must be an impartial tribunal constituted
to determine the right involved.
2) There must be due notice and opportunity to be
heard.
3) The procedure at the hearing must be consistent
with the essentials of a fair trial.
4) Proceedings must have been conducted in such a
way that there will be opportunity for a court to
determine whether the applicable rules of law
and procedure were observed.
What does Administrative Due Process Include?
 Right of a party to confront and cross-examine
opposing witnesses in a judicial litigation or
before admin tribunals exercising quasi-judicial
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powers is a fundamental right which is a part of
due process.
 Due process contemplates notice and
opportunity to be heard before judgment is
rendered affecting one’s person or property.
 There is substantial compliance where the
claimant to the position in question was
accorder a full hearing prior to the rejection
of his claim.
 Due process is not denied where the
admission of a party in his pleadings
dispenses with the need for a formal hearing.
 There is no denial of due process where the
adverse parties were given the opportunity
to file a motion for reconsideration of an
order which was issued pursuant to a
petition filed without prior notice to them.
Can Administrative Agencies exercising QuasiJudicial functions delegate to its subordinates the
Authority to Hear and Receive Evidence?
 Power to decide resides solely in the admin
agency vested by law BUT this does NOT
preclude a delegation of the power to hold a
hearing on the basis of which the decision of the
admin agency will be made. (see subdelegation)
 Admin officer is not precluded from utilizing, as
a matter of practical admin procedure, the aid of
his subordinates to investigate and report to him
the facts, on the basis of which he makes his
decisions.
 It is sufficient that the judgment and discretion
finally exercised are those of the officer
authorized by law.
 Due process or the requirements of fair hearing
do NOT mandate that the actual taking of
testimony be made before the same officer who
will make the decision in the case. It is
sufficient that the:
a) Party is not deprived of his right to
present his own case and submit
evidence in support thereof; and
b) The decision is supported by the
evidence in record
 There is no abnegation of responsibility on the
part of the officer concerned as the actual
decision remains with and is made by said
officer.
What are the Cardinal Rights to be Respected?
 The following cardinal primary rights must be
respected in Quasi-judicial proceedings affecting
life, liberty and property:
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1) Right to a Hearing
 Includes the right of the party interested or
affected to present his own case and submit
evidence in support thereof.
 Liberty and property of the citizen shall be
protected by the rudimentary requirements
of fair play.
2) Tribunal Must Consider the Evidence
Presented
 Right to adduce evidence, w/o the
corresponding duty on the part of the board
to consider it is a futility.
3) Decision must have something to support itself
 A decision with absolutely noting to support
it is a nullity.
4) Decision must be based on substantial
evidence.
 Substantial evidence is more than a mere
scintilla.
• It means such relevant evidence as a
reasonable mind might accept as
adequate to support a conclusion.
 Mere uncorroborated hearsay or rumor does
not constitute substantial evidence.
5) Decision must be rendered on the evidence
presented
 Decision must be rendered on the evidence:
• Present at the hearing; or
• At least contained in the record and
disclosed to the parties affected.
 The parties are protected in their right to
know and meet the case against them only
by confining the admin tribunal to evidence
disclosed by the parties.
6) Tribunal must act on its or their own
independent consideration of the law and facts
of the controversy
 Board or its judges must act on their own
and not simply accept the views of a
subordinate in arriving at a decision.
7) Decision must be rendered in such a manner
that the parties to the proceeding can know the
various issues involved and the ratio for the
decision
 In all controversial questions, the
performance of this duty is inseparable from
the authority conferred upon it.
What is the Summary of Elements that Must be
Present if Administrative Action is to be
sustained (as given by Walter Dodd)?
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1) The administrative body must have acted within
its authority, that is, within the powers conferred
upon it and in the manner provided by law;
2) There must be notice and an opportunity to be
heard.
3) There must be a reasonable opportunity to
know the claims of the opposing party and to
meet them.
4) A finding may NOT be based on undisclosed
facts.
5) The procedure must be consistent with the
essentials of a fair trial.
6) The findings must be based on substantial
evidence and must not be arbitrary and
capricious.
7) Mere uncorroborated hearsay or rumor or a mere
scintilla of evidence do not suffice, but there
must be such relevant evidence as a reasonable
mind might accept as adequate to support a
conclusion.
What are Examples of Administrative Actions
Requiring Notice and Hearing?
1) A subject of a foreign power residing in the Phil
shall not be deported, expelled, or excluded from
the Phil or repatriated to his own country by the
President except upon prior investigation
conducted by the Pres or his authorized agent,
on the ground upon which such action is
contemplated.
 The person concerned shall be informed of
the charge against him and be allowed no
less than 3 days for the preparation for his
defense.
 Also have the right to be heard by himself or
counsel, to produce witnesses in his own
behalf, and to cross-examine the opposing
witnesses.
2) The Board of Pharmaceutical Examiners may
also revoke a certificate of registration as a
pharmacist for any cause specified in Sec. 746 of
the Revised Admin Code, or for unprofessional
conduct, after due notice to the person
interested, and a hearing which is subject to an
appeal to the Department Head whose decision
shall be final.
3) The power of the Boar of Dental Examiners to
revoke or suspend the validity of a certification
of registration of a dentist for the grounds
specified under the law, or for the employment
of persons who are duly authorized to do the
work which under this Act , provided that the
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action of the Board in the exercise of this power
shall be appealable to the Secretary of Health
whose decision shall be final.
4) In cases of expiration of the year for which the
tax is due, the provincial treasurer shall advertise
the sale at public auction of the delinquent real
property or so much thereof as may be necessary
to satisfy all taxes and penalties due and the
costs of sale.
 Advertisement shall be made by posting a
notice for 3 consecutive weeks at the main
entrance of the provincial building and all
municipal buildings in the province, and in a
public conspicuous place in the barrio
wherein the property is situated.
• Copy of the notice shall be sent by
registered mail or by messenger to the
delinquent taxpayer at his residence if
known to the said treasurer.
5) The Collector of Customs shall give the owner
or importer of the property or his agent a written
notice of the seizure and shall give him an
opportunity to be heard in reference to the
delinquency which was the occasion of such
seizure.
6) In case of levy on real estate of a delinquent
taxpayer for the collection of internal revenue
taxes, a written notice of the levy shall be
mailed to or served upon the delinquent or, if he
is absent from the Phil, to his agent or the
manager of the business in respect to which the
liability arose, or, if there be none such, to the
occupant of the property in question.
7) Hearing compensation cases shall be held by the
Commissioner upon his own motion or upon
application of any party interested therein. The
commissioner shall cause reasonable notice of
such hearing to be given to each party interested,
by service upon him personally or mailing a
copy thereof.
 All parties in interest shall have the right to
be present at any hearing in person or by
counsel or by any other agent or
representative, to present such testimony as
may be pertinent to the controversy before
the Commissioner and to cross examine the
witnesses against them.
8) Board of Medical Examiners may disapprove
applications for examination or registrations,
reprimand erring physicians, or suspend or
revoke registration certificates, if the
respondents are found guilty after due
investigation.
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What are Examples of Administrative
Determinations Voided of Lack of Notice and
Hearing?
1) An order of the Public Service Commission
canceling the certificate of Public Convenience
of an operator ex-parte upon petition of a rival
company without notice and hearing.
2) An order of the Public Service Commission
revoking the right or authority of an operator
under its certificate of public convenience to
make extra or special trips without notice and
hearing.
3) Order of the Public Service Commission
granting an applicant a certificate of public
convenience after excluding said line from the
hearing thereby depriving the oppositors of the
right to present evidence in support of their
opposition.
4) An order of the Public Service Commission
limiting the period of the certificate of public
convenience of an operator where it appears the
latter had never been given notice nor given an
opportunity to be heard or present evidence.
5) Order of the Public Service Commission altering
the route previously granted to a transportation
operator to the prejudice of other operators
without notice and hearing upon claim that is
merely a correction of clerical errors in a
decision previously rendered.
6) A resolution of a municipal council ordering the
elevation of a smoke-stack of an ice plant
company within a period of one month from the
approval of the said resolution otherwise said
establishment will be closed or its operation
suspended, it appearing that no compelling
necessity justifies such summary action and
done without notice and hearing to the party
affected.
7) Action of the District Engineer and the
Provincial Governor destroying the dam
constructed by the plaintiff across a certain creek
without any judicial proceeding whatever under
pretense that such private property constitutes a
nuisance.
8) A decision of the CIR authorizing a movie
production company to lay off 44 workers on the
ground that it was suffering financial losses
where it appears that the Presiding Judge
thereof, instead of conducting a formal hearing
made an ocular inspection of the premises of the
company in the course of which he interrogated
15 laborers on the basis of which the decision
was rendered without receiving full evidence to
determine the cause or motive of the lay off of
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II-D 2003-2004
the said workers thereby denying the parties
affected an opportunity to be heard.
9) An order of deportation of an alien on the basis
of a charge other than that contained in the
warrant of arrest and upon which no opportunity
for a fair hearing was made.
10) A tax delinquency sale held on a date other than
that fixed in the notice as advertised, it being a
requirement of law that notice of such sale to the
delinquent tax-payers and landowners in
particular, and to the public in general, be made,
non-fulfillment of which vitiates and nullifies
the sale and if it appears necessary to postpone
the sale indefinitely, new notices to the
taxpayers and to the public should be made.
11) In this case, a workmen’s compensation award
was issued without hearing on the failure of the
employer to controvert the claim. Although
admitting non-convtroversion, the employer
corporation argued that this merely meant that it
accepted the allegation in the claim that the
employee was “lost or missing”.
Is Notice and Hearing Required in ALL cases of
Administrative Determinations?
 Not every administrative determination affecting
private individuals requires notice and hearing.
 Only required in order to comply with due
process of law only when some
constitutional right is claimed to be
invaded.
 Notice and Hearing is NOT necessary in the
absence of an express or implied statutory
provision therefore, and a statute may provide
for such determination without requiring notice
and hearing if::
(1) The purpose of an administrative
determination is to decide WON a right or
privilege which an applicant does not
possess shall be:
a) granted to him or
b) withheld in the exercise of a discretion
vested by statute,
(2) The power exercised is essentially
administrative or executive and NOT
judicial or quasi-judicial.
 Even though the power exercised is quasijudicial, notice or hearing may not be essential
to due process of law if no personal or property
rights are involved.
 There are many cases in which powers of
determination and action of a quasi-judicial
character are given to officers entrusted with
duties of local or municipal administration
by which lives and properties of individuals
are affected, and from the very nature of
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these duties, they must be exercised without
prior hearing or finally and conclusively
without any hearing , or even notice to the
parties who may be affected.
What are examples of administrative
determinations that even without prior notice
and hearing are still valid?
1) Summary proceedings of distraint and levy upon
the property of a delinquent taxpayer for the
collection of internal revenue taxes, fees, or
charges, and any increment thereto.
2) Preventive suspension of officer or employee
pending investigation
3) Removal of “acting” or “temporary” employees
4) Cancellation of a passport where no abuse of
discretion has been committed by the Secretary
of Foreign Affairs
5) Summary abatement of nuisance per se which
affects the immediate safety of person and
property (remember property?)
6) Grant or revocation of licenses for permits to
operate certain busnesses affecting public order
or morals, like selling of liquor, or operating of a
dance hall, since the legislature did not intend to
leave the morals of a neighborhood to be
imperiled while a protracted hearing should hold
in abeyance the proper admin action to terminate
r recall a license used to cover immoral or
disorderly conduct;
7) Summary seizure, condemnation or destruction
by municipal officers without a preliminary
hearing of such food which are unfit for human
consumption;
8) No hearing is required in the consideration of
any application for the installation,
establishment or operation of a radio system,
unlike those instances specified in Radio Control
Law.
9) The oppositor in an application for taxi service
was not able to present evidence in support of
her opposition because there was a faiure to
notify her of the date of the hearing. The
Supreme Court nevertheless did not find denial
of due process as she did not show that she
suffered substantial injury and therefore had no
reason to complain. The court placed value on
the fact that she did not move for
reconsideration and did not ask for new trial for
presentation of her evidence.
What are the Rules of Procedure in
Administrative Determinations?
Rhys Alexei Y. Murillo
II-D 2003-2004
 The differences in origin and function of courts
and of administrative agencies preclude the
wholesale transportation to admin proceedings
of the rules or procedure, trial and review which
have evolved from the history and experience of
the courts.
 It is a general rule that they are unrestricted by
the technical or formal rules of procedure which
govern trials before a court.
 The atmosphere of admin tribunals may be
one of expeditiousness, expertness, or
liberally conceived remedies.
 Ex: Court of Industrial Relations is not
narrowly constrained to technical rules
of procedure.
• The Industrial Act requires it to “act
according to justice and equity and
substantial merits of the case,
without regard to technicalities or
legal forms and shall not be bound
bay any technical rules of legal
evidence but may inform its mind in
such manner as it may deem just
and equitable.”
Do Admin Agencies exercising powers of
administrative determination have the authority
to promulgate Rules of Procedure?
 They may adopt and prescribe the rules of
procedure applicable in proceedings before
them.
 Even if rules of practice have not been provided
by the law-making power, admin agencies
exercising judicial or quasi-judicial functions
have the authority to establish rules of procedure
under which such functions will be exercised.
 They must be reasonable and not arbitrary.
What are Limitations on the Authority to Adopt
Rules of Procedure?
 Such promulgated Rules of Procedure cannot
ignore or disregard the fundamental and
essential requirements of due process in trials
and investigations of an administrative
character.
 As stated, they must be reasonable and not
arbitrary.
How are these Rules of Procedure Interpreted?
 They should be construed liberally in order to
promote their object and to assist the parties in
obtaining just, speedy and inexpensive
determinations of their respective claims and
defenses.
 Admin authorities have the power to interpret
their own rules and a certain latitude of
discretion in their application is permitted.
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 An officer having the power to impose a
regulation governing the practice of a
tribunal has power to dispense with such
regulation for reasons satisfactory to him.
 The rules may even be disregarded in any
particular case without infringing on the
rights of the litigants provided that:
a. Tribunal must not act in an arbitrary
manner
b. It may not deny an essential right to a
hearing
 RATIO: Rules are only for the convenience of
the tribunal, as well as of litigants, and are
adopted to facilitate the transaction of business,
and may be suspended or disregarded by the
tribunal whenever the purposes of justice
requires it.
Can Administrative Agencies issue Ex Parte
orders?
 Where admin proceedings involve parties,
admin agencies may not simply issue an ex parte
order; it must proceed against the proper parties.
How are Parties to an Admin Proceeding
Determined?
 Who are, may or must be parties to the
proceedings is dependent upon the:
(1) Purpose and effect of the proceeding;
(2) Particular statute under which it is brought;
and
 Certain statutes are aimed to provide
protection for the public and not remedy
for private wrongs.
(3) Rules of agency.
 While a private person may request that
action be taken by an admin agency or a
charge by such person may be essential
to put the machinery of the agency into
motion, the person at whose instigation
a proceeding is instituted does NOT
become a party to the proceeding or
have any control over it.
 Analogy to the law on parties as developed in
judicial proceedings may not be compelling,
particularly when the purpose of the proceeding
is not the adjudication of private rights.
 The personal merit, motives or conduct of the
private complainant is immaterial if the practice
of which he complains is one in which the public
generally has an interest.
 Many admin proceedings are instituted on the
complaint or motion of the agency before which
the hearing is had, however it has been held
generally that an admin agency is NOT a party
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to a litigation as that term is customarily used
and should not be so considered unless the
legislature has provided.
Are the Rules on Pleadings followed in courts
applicable to Administrative Determinations?
 The right to some sort of due, adequate and
appropriate statement of issues or pleadings may
exist under a constitutional or statutory right to a
hearing, or under specific provisions of statutes
or rules or the particular admin agency.
 Sufficiency of an application, claim, petition,
notice, complaint, charge, rule to show cause, or
whatever other form an initial statement before
an admin agency or tribunal may take is NOT
governed by the rules applicable to courts.
 Pleadings may be informal, and the
sufficiency of statements therein is not to be
measured by the requirements of a
complaint or initial pleading in a court civil
or criminal proceeding.
 What is required under some statutes and rules is
a:
a) Brief statement of the facts, or
b) Clear or concise statement of the claims
or charge upon which the petitioner
relies and of the relief sought.
 Complaint must set out facts sufficient to
establish all the essential elements, but it is no
more necessary to plead the law relied on in an
administrative proceeding than in a judicial
proceeding.
 A statutory provision may provide that a
complaint shall be verified by the oaths of the
complainants and specify the acts complained
of, requires that the verification be genuine,
attest the truth of the particular circumstances
alleged, and be based upon personal knowledge
of those averring them.
 Proceedings instituted by complaint necessarily
involve the right of counterpleading or answer,
and the complaint is subject to demurrer on the
ground that it does not state facts sufficient to
constitute a cause of action.
How is Evidence presented in Administrative
Proceedings?
 GEN. RULE: Admin tribunals are NOT bound
by the strict or technical rules of evidence
governing court proceedings even though the
administrative agency is acting in an
adjudicatory or quasi-judicial capacity.
 Admission before an admin tribunal of matter
which would be deemed incompetent in judicial
proceedings will NOT:
 Invalidate the admin order, and
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
Constitute ground for reversal where it
is merely cumulative, or it is shown that
the admin agency relied upon such
evidence.
 Admin tribunals are given great leeway in
hearing and considering a variety of material as
evidence, and the receipt and consideration of
incompetence evidence is not a denial of due
process of law.
 Rule that admin agencies are not bound by the
strict or technical rules of evidence is
recognition that admin agencies may relax rules.
 This should not be construed to mean as an
approval of an utter disregard of rules of
evidence where private rights are involved.
 The exemption from strict rules of evidence
does not empower an admin agency to act
arbitrarily.
Can an Admin tribunals in a quasi-judicial
proceeding use its own agency files and records
without introducing them as evidence?
 Courts have generally held that it is improper
for an admin agency in a quasi-judicial or
adjudicatory proceeding to base its decision or
findings upon:
(1) Facts gathered from its own files
without introducing the files in
evidence, or
(2) Facts obtained from other cases pending
before, or
(3) Facts obtained from other cases
previously decided by the tribunal
 There are cases however that hold that an admin
agency can take judicial notice of its own
records or decisions or may act on the
knowledge of matters disclosed to it through its
own records.
 Some cases hold that the use of evidence
gathered from its own files is for a limited
purpose of supplementing or checking and
weighing evidence properly introduced.
 Better View: An administrative agency may take
notice of data on file or records reached by it in
other cases where:
 Such facts is made known from the other
cases, and
 There is adequate opportunity for rebuttal.
How are Secret information and Confidential
Communications to an agency treated?
 GEN RULE: In adjudicatory proceedings
involving primarily the interests of private
litigants, information cannot be withheld from
the parties on the ground that it is of confidential
Rhys Alexei Y. Murillo
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nature and at the same time be used as a basis
for decision by the admin agency.
 There are some cases which support the
proposition that in some instances, a right to
hearing does not embrace the right to know
information which must be kept secret in the
public interest.
What is the Quantum of Evidence required in
Admin Proceedings?
 It must be Substantial Evidence.
 More than mere scintilla of evidence.
 Such relevant evidence as a reasonable mind
might accept as adequate to support a
conclusion.
What is the Substantial Evidence Rule?
 The judicial inquiry goes no further than to
ascertain whether there is evidence to support
the findings, and the question of the weight of
the evidence in determining issues of fact lies
with the agency acting within its statutory
authority. (Ang Tibay v. CIR)
What is the required Form of Administrative
Determinations?
 Administrative order or determinations must in
particular cases conform to the statutes
governing the particular proceeding. They must
be in proper form and must be entered against
the proper party.
1) They must contain findings sufficiently definite
and certain as to enable the court to review the
decision intelligently and ascertain if the facts
afford a reasonable basis for the order.
 Findings of quasi-jurisdictional facts by an
administrative agency are not sufficient
where ascertainment of their existence is left
to conflicting inferences.
2) It must also state the law on which the decision
is based.
 The decision must have something to
support itself for an order with absolutely
nothing to support itself is a patent nullity.
3) Order should be sufficiently definite and certain
to inform the party what is required to be done,
and to enable the courts to enforce them.
What is the effect of Administrative Decisions
rendered Beyond the Period provided for in the
statute?
 It is usual for statutes to require that
administrative decisions be rendered within a
prescribed period.
 These requirements are generally directory
and NOT jurisdictional.
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 A decision rendered beyond such period is
NOT necessarily null and void, in the
absence of provision to the contrary.
 Ex: Sec. 5(d) of RA 875 provides that unfair
labor practices cases must be decided w/n 30
days after their submission. It also provides that
the 30-day period shall be considered mandatory
in char.
 This does not mean that a decision rendered
beyond the 30-day pd is null and void.
 After a court has acquired jurisdiction over
the case, it retains such jurisdiction until the
case is finally disposed of.
 The 30-day period was designed to provide
the parties to the industrial dispute with
means to compel prompt decisions of the
case by the court by a writ of mandamus,
admin complaint or a similar recourse.
 Here, congress did not say that a decision
rendered after the 30 day period would be
null and void.
What is the effect of a VOID or INVALID
Order?
 It is not enforceable and may be disregarded or
challenged in a collateral proceeding and it
affords no protection for acts done under it.
Can there be Appeals and Reviews of Admin
Decisions?
 In many admin systems, there is a hierarchy of
authorities so that a review may be had within
the system itself of the action of the lower admin
authorities by their superiors.
 Admin review may be provided for where a
court is made a part of an admin scheme with
supervisory powers of such extent that its action
on review is deemed different from its ordinary
judicial functions.
What are some examples of Administrative
Appeals and Reviews?
 Decisions of the Collector of Customs in any
matter presented upon protest or by his action in
any case may be reviewed by the Commissioner.
 The aggrieved party within 15 days (after
notification in writing by the Collector of his
action or decision), must give written notice
to the Collector intimidating his desire to
have the matter reviewed.
 Collector shall transmit all records of the
proceeding to the Commissioner who shall
approve, modify or reverse the action or
decision of the Collector and take such steps
and make such orders as necessary to
effectuate his order.
Rhys Alexei Y. Murillo
II-D 2003-2004
 Orders and Determinations of Director of Lands
under the Public Land Act (CA 141) are
appealable and subject to review by the Sec of
Agriculture and Natural Resources.
 Decisions and Orders of Director of Mines on
cases pertaining to the reconstitution or
reconstruction of mining records may be
appealed to Sec of Agriculture and Natural
Resources by filing with the Director of Mines a
notice of appeal w/n 30 days after rcpt of the
party appealing a copy of such decision/order.
 Any property owner not satisfied in the
assessment of his property, may within 60 days
from the date of receipt by him of the written
notice of assessment, appeal to the Board on Tax
Appeals. If he is not satisfied with the decision
of the Board on Tax Appeals he may appeal to
the Sec. of Finance.
 Art. 260 of New labor Code (PD. 442) states that
any party to a Certification election (CE) may
appeal the order or results of the election of the
BLR on the ground that the rules and regulations
or parts thereof established by the Sec. Of labor
for the conduct of the CE has been violated.
Appeal shall be decided w/n 15 working days.
 ART. 264 New Labor Code – decisions of the
NLRC on a dispute certified to it shall be final
and executory unless appealed to the Sec. of
Labor within 10 days from receipt only on
grounds of GADALEJ.
Is Compliance with the period provided by law
for perfection of an appeal Mandatory or
Jurisdictional?
 Compliance with the period provided by law for
the perfection of an appeal is not merely
mandatory but also a jurisdictional requirement.
Are Dept. Heads Authorized by law to Repeal or
Modify the Decisions of Bureaus or Offices Under
Their Control?
 Department Heads are authorized by law to have
direct control, discretion and supervision over all
bureaus and offices under their respective
jurisdiction and may, any provision of existing
law to the contrary notwithstanding, repeal or
modify the decisions of the chief of said bureaus
and offices when advisable in the public interest.
[Sec. 79(c) Rev. Admin Code]
Does the President have the power to control
Executive Depts,, Bureaus and Offices
Independent of Statutory Authority,?
 Art. VII Sec. 10(1), 1973 Consti [now Art. VII,
Sec. 17, 1986 Consti]:
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ADMINISTRATIVE LAW – Atty. Chan-Gonzaga/Dean Roy
 President as administrative head, has the
constitutional power to control executive
departments, bureaus and offices.
II-D 2003-2004
b. Rights have already vested in the
meantime by reason thereof
- OR -
 The president may exercise his
constitutional power of revision on his own
motion, or on the appeal of some individual
who might deem himself aggrieved by the
action of an administrative official.
Does the Principle of Res Adjudicata apply in
Administrative Proceedings?
 This has found little systematic consideration
partly due to the fact that the doctrine of res
judicata, properly understood, has only a
narrowly confined area of application in the field
of admin law.
 By way of generalization and only as a broad
principle subject to exceptions, the principle of
res adjudicate does NOT apply when:
(1) Administrative determination has been
issued with respect to a matter wherein an
administrative agency has continuing
jurisdiction;
(2) No rights have vested in the meantime by
reason thereof;
(3) So long as the case has not yet passed
beyond the control of the administrative
authorities as where the:
 Determination is not yet final but
interlocutory
 Powers and jurisdiction of the
admin authorities are continuing in
character.
What are the grounds that will enable Admin
agencies to modify their determinations?
 Admin agencies, whether by reason of express
statutory provision granting the power of
revision or by reason of the principles applied by
the others, have the power to modify their
determinations on the grounds of:
(1) Fraud or imposition
(2) Mistake
(3) Inadvertence
(4) Newly discovered evidence
(5) In order to meet the changed conditions
When does Res Adjudicata apply to Admin
Proceedings?
(1) A decision or determination was issued or made
in the exercise of essentially judicial function
involving:
a. The grant of some right or privilege
intended as a final determination of the
question itself
Rhys Alexei Y. Murillo
(2) When such administrative determination has
been the judicially affirmed.
*NOTE: The courts usually apply it not as res
adjudicata itself but as a specie of equitable estoppel
which produces approximately the same result as
would application of the rules of res adjudicata.
Is the Reopening of Administrative Proceedings
allowed?
 Reopening cannot be allowed without legal and
plausible grounds.
 It tends to breed chaos and lead to an
insecurity of status already established by a
previous admin agency.
 An arbitrary, abusive and indiscriminate
exercise of the right to review even if granted by
law, will obliterate the right of an individual to
due process – a destructive blow to the rule of
law.

CHAPTER V
ADMINISTRATIVE ENFORCEMENT
AND SANCTIONS
How are Administrative Determinations
Enforced?
 Enforceable only in the manner provided by the
statute.
 If statute does not provide a remedy for their
enforcement they are unenforceable.
 Some determinations are not to be enforced at
all, in the ordinary sense of the term.
 In these cases, their only sanction is the:
 Force of public opinion invoked by the
fairness of a full hearing,
 Intrinsic justice of the conclusion,
strengthened by the official prestige on
the tribunal
 Full publication of any violation of the
decision.
What are the Methods of Enforcement of Admin
Determinations?
 The methods of enforcement of admin
determinations are:
(1) Investigation
(2) Summary Action
(3) Imposition of Administrative Sanctions
(4) Judicial Actions
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ADMINISTRATIVE LAW – Atty. Chan-Gonzaga/Dean Roy
II-D 2003-2004
What is Investigation as a Method of
Enforcement?
 Life blood of the admin process is the flow of
fact, the gathering, the organization and the
analysis of evidence.
 This power and the power to require the
production of books, papers, documents and
other evidence are basic to the power of
investigations and it is common for statutes to
confer such powers to admin agencies.
 Investigations are useful for all admin functions,
not only for rule making, adjudication and
licensing, but also for prosecuting, for
supervising and directing, for determining
general policy, for recommending legislation
and for purposes no more specific than
illuminating obscure areas to find out what if
anything should be done.
 Such powers may be validly vested in admin
agencies even for purposes not quasi-judicial.
 Admin agency may be authorized to make
investigations, not only in proceedings of a
legislative and judicial nature, but also in
proceedings the purpose of which is to
obtain info upon which future action of a
legis or judicial nature may be taken.
 This may require the attendance of
witnesses in proceedings of a purely
investigatory nature.

They may conduct general inquiries into
evils for correction, and to report
findings to appropriate bodies and make
recommendations for actions.
 Investigatory or inquisitorial powers may consist
of the power to inspect or to secure or to require
the disclosure of information by means of
accounts, records, or otherwise.
 These powers are conferred on practically all
boards and commissions as an adjunct of their
regulatory powers which may include the
powers of: (see Chap 4)
a) Subpoena;
b) Swearing Witnesses
c) Interrogating Witnesses
d) Calling for the production of books,
papers and records
e) Requiring that books, papers and
records be made available for inspection
f) Inspecting premises
g) Requiring Written Answers to
Questionnaires
h) Requiring reports, periodic or special
i) Requiring the filing of statements.
Discuss the power of Admin Agencies to Require
Attendance of Witnesses, Compelling Testimony,
and Production of Evidence in General.
 Admin officers do NOT have the inherent power
to require the attendance of witnesses before
them, put them under oath and require them to
testify.
Rhys Alexei Y. Murillo
 An Admin agency in itself is NOT empowered
to compel the attendance and testimony of
witnesses, and may only do so through judicial
process.
 It is common for the statutes to provide for
application to a court to:
 Enforce obedience to a subpoena of an
admin agency or
 The giving of testimony before it.
 Power to compel a witness to testify will
NOT be inferred from a grant of authority to
summon and examine a witness.
 The power to compel a witness to testify
must be clearly given by statute.
 The book says there is authority to the
contrary.
What is the Power to issue a Subpoena?
 This aids in the effective exercise of the
Investigatory power.
 Without the power to summon witnesses and
require the production of books, papers and
documents, investigation may not prosper.
 Subpoena power is thus the coercive arm or
feature of investigation.
*NOTE: This is NOT an inherent power of admin
agencies.
 Admin agencies may enforce subpoenas issued
in the course of investigations, whether or not
adjudication is involved or whether or not
probable cause is shown even before issuance of
a complaint.
 It is unlike a warrant where:
 A specific charge or complaint of
violation of law should be pending; or
 That the order be made pursuant to one
is required before its issuance.
 In the issuance of a subpoena, it is enough
that the investigation be for a lawfully
authorized purpose.
 Admin agency has the power of inquisition
which is NOT dependent upon a case or
controversy in order to get evidence but can
investigate merely on suspicion that the law is
being violated or wants an assurance that it is
not.
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ADMINISTRATIVE LAW – Atty. Chan-Gonzaga/Dean Roy
 Upon delegation by a statute of investigative
and accusatory duties to an admin agency, it
may take steps to inform itself as to whether
there is probable violation of the law.
What is the Purpose of a Subpoena?
 Its purpose is to discover evidence, not to prove
a pending charge.
 Upon discovery of evidence, a charge can be
made if the evidence so justifies the making
of one.
 Its obligation cannot rest on a trial of the value
of the testimony sought as it is enough that:
(1) The proposed investigation be for a lawfully
authorized purpose; and
(2) The proposed witness be claimed to have
information that might shed some helpful
light.
What are the Requisites for the Validity of a
Subpoena?
 A subpoena meets the requirements of
enforcement if the inquiry is:
(1) Within the authority of the agency
(2) The demand is not too indefinite
(3) The information is reasonably relevant.
Does the Right Against Self-Incrimination extend
to Administrative Investigations?
 This constitutionally granted privilege extends in
administrative investigations, generally, in scope
similar to adversary proceedings.
 Cabal v. Kapunan Jr.,
 Since the Admin charge of Unexplained
wealth may result in the forfeiture of the
property under the Anti-Graft and Corrupt
Practices Act, a proceeding criminal or
penal in nature, the complainant cannot call
the responded to the witness stand without
encroaching upon his constitutional
privilege against self-incrimination.
 Any person whether the respondent or a witness
in an admin investigation, may contest an
attempt in the investigation that tends to
disregard his privilege against selfincrimination.
What are Examples of Statutory Grant of
Subpoena Powers?
 COMELEC has power to summon the parties to
a controversy pending before it, issue subpoena
and subpoena duces tecum and take testimony in
any investigation or hearing before it and
delegate such power to any officer of the
Commission who shall be a member of the Phil.
Bar. (Sec. 185(1), PD 1296)
 SEC may issue subpoena duces tecum and
summon witnesses to appear in any proceedings
Rhys Alexei Y. Murillo
II-D 2003-2004
of the Commission and in appropriate case order
search and seizure or cause the search and
seizure of all documents, papers, files and
records as well as books of accounts of any
entity or person under investigation for the
proper disposition on cases before it. (Sec. 6(e)
PD 902-A)
 BLR has the power to require the appearance of
any person or the production of any paper,
document or matter relevant to a labor dispute
under its jurisdiction either at the request of any
interested party or its own initiative. (Art. 229,
PD 442)
 NLRC shall have the power and authority to
administer oaths, summon the parties to a
controversy, issue subpoenas requiring the
attendance and testimony of witnesses or the
production of such books, papers… in any
investigation or hearing in pursuance of the New
Labor Code. (Art. 218(b) PD 442)
When authority to take testimony or evidence is
conferred upon an admin officer is it understood
to comprehend the right to issue subpoena?
 YES. When authority to take testimony or
evidence is conferred upon an admin officer, any
non-judicial person, committee or other body,
such authority is understood to comprehend the
right:
 To administer oaths and summon witnesses
 Authority to require the production of
documents under a subpoena duces tecum or
otherwise.
 This authority is subject in all respects to the
same restrictions and qualifications as applied in
judicial proceedings of similar character.
Can Subpoena Power be subdelegated?
 In the absence of express statutory authority,
such subdelegation of authority to subordinates
should NOT be inferred.
 Unlimited authority of an admin officer to
delegate the exercise of subpoena power is NOT
lightly to be inferred.
 Capable of oppressive use, especially when
it may be indiscriminately delegated and the
subpoena is not returnable before a judicial
officer.
How are Subpoenas Enforced?
 As stated, admin agencies ordinarily do not and
cannot have the power to compel the attendance
and testimony of witnesses.
 The usual procedure is the application by
the admin agency or by an interested party
to a court for an order enforcing the
administrative order or subpoena.
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ADMINISTRATIVE LAW – Atty. Chan-Gonzaga/Dean Roy
 It is the order of the court which is the basis of
the obligation, and enforced by contempt
proceedings if not obeyed.
Do Administrative Agencies have Contempt
Powers?
 The power to punish contempt is inherently
judicial in nature and has always been regarded
as a necessary incident and attribute of the
courts.
II-D 2003-2004
is afforded for a later judicial determination of
legal rights.
 Summary proceedings to secure prompt
performance of pecuniary obligations to the
gov’t have been consistently sustained.
 Ex: Summary proceedings of distraint and
levy of the property of delinquent taxpayers
for collection of taxes have never been
successfully questioned.
 It may be granted to an admin body only in the
exercise of judicial or quasi-judicial powers.
 The grant or contempt power in the
furtherance of the purely admin function of
such body has been held to be invalid.
What are Administrative Sanctions as a Method
of Enforcement?
 These are Vindicatory parts of a law or those
parts which ordain or denounce a penalty for the
violation.
What are Examples of Statutory Grant of
Contempt Powers?
 COMELEC or any of the members thereof shall
have the power to punish contempt provided in
Rule 71 under the same procedure and with the
same penalties provided therein for the violation
of any final and executory decision, order, or
ruling of the COMELEC. (Sec. 185(e) PD.
1296)
 These may include revocation of licenses,
refusal to renew licenses, refusal to grant
clearance papers, seizure and sale or destruction
of property, rejection of applicants, suspension
or expulsion, restraint of person, imposition of
admin fines and forfeitures.
 NLRC has the power to hold any person in
contempt directly or indirectly against any
person guilty of misbehaviour in the presence of
or so near the Chairman of any member of the
Commission of any Labor Arbiter. Indirect
contempt shall be dealt with by the Commission
or Labor Arbiter in the manner prescribed under
Rule 71 of the Rules of Court. (Art. 218(d) PD
442)
 Any violation of any order, award, or decision of
the Court of Industrial Relations shall, after such
has become final, conclusive and executory,
shall constitute contempt of court, provided that
the complaint charging the commission of
indirect contempt of the Court shall be in writing
signed and filed with the Clerk of Court by the
Attorney of Court. (Sec. 6, CA 103)
What are Summary Powers as a Method of
Enforcement?
 Used to designate the admin power to apply
compulsion or force against person or property
to effectuate a legal purpose without a judicial
warrant to authorize such action.
 Where only property rights are involved, mere
postponement of judicial inquiry into liability is
NOT a denial of due process if the opportunity
given for the ultimate judicial determination of
the liability is adequate.
 Property rights must yield provisionally to
governmental need where adequate opportunity
Rhys Alexei Y. Murillo
 These sanctions are regarded as remedial and
civil NOT criminal, and may be imposed by
admin agencies.
What are Examples of Administrative Sanctions?
1) Suspension, revocation or cancellation of
certificates of public convenience, after notice
and Hearing by the Public Service Commission;
2) Imposition of a fine not exceeding P200/day for
every default or violation by any public service
of terms and conditions of any certificate or any
order, decisions, and regulations of the Public
Services Commission which is empowered to
impose the same, after due notice and hearing;
3) Imposition of admin fines and forfeitures by the
Collector of Customs under the Customs and
Tariff Code;
4) Imposition and collection of penalties and
surcharges by the Collector of Internal Revenue
under the NIRC;
5) Exclusion and deportation of aliens under the
provisions of the Immigration Act and as an
inherent act of the state; and
6) Suspension, cancellation, or revocation of
licenses of physicians and dentists under the Phil
Medical Act of 1959 and the Phil Dental Act.
Are Admin Agencies given the Power to Enforce
their own decisions?
 Some agencies may be given the power to
enforce their own decisions without invading the
province of the judiciary.
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ADMINISTRATIVE LAW – Atty. Chan-Gonzaga/Dean Roy
 Imposition of a penalty for violation of law has
been held as a judicial function which may
NOT be reposed in an admin agency.
 For example, Legislature cannot leave the
amount of penalty between fixed limits, to
case-by-case determination by a tax
commission, this being exactly the same
function which a court would exercise in
imposing a fine upon conviction of a crime.
When is an Admin Agency Allowed to enforce its
own Decisions?
 If the sanction (penalty) invoked is civil and
NOT criminal, it may be applied by an Admin
Agency.
 Authorizing an admin agency, after hearing and
findings of non-observance of an order, to
publish the names of those failing to observe
such order does not attempt to confer
unconstitutional authority to usurp the judicial
function by imposing a penalty.
 Such information would be public
knowledge and could be printed in any
newspaper irrespective of the consent, or
authorization of the admin agency.
 In the absence of specific provisions of law,
penal sanctions for the violation of admin rules,
regulations and determinations, are enforceable
through the machinery of the regularly
constituted court.
 There is NO constitutional principle which
prohibits the legislature from authorizing admin
agencies from imposing administrative as
distinguished from criminal sanctions like fines
and forfeitures.
 Such sanctions are regarded as merely civil
and remedial rather than criminal or
punitive in nature.
 Good examples are internal revenue and
custom cases.
What is Judicial Enforcement as a Method of
Enforcement?
 Admin orders CANNOT be enforced in the
courts of justice in the absence of an express
statutory provision for that purpose.
 Some statutes, generally provide for the judicial
enforcement of admin orders:
(1) Sometimes by provisions for transfer of
admin records and decision to a court
for the entry of a judgment and decree;
and
(2) Sometimes by actions for penalties for
violation of orders or by actions to
enforce reparation awards.
Rhys Alexei Y. Murillo
II-D 2003-2004
 Some statutes make available mandamus and
injunction as methods of Judicial Enforcement.
What are Examples of Statutory Provisions on
Judicial Enforcement?
 Observance of the orders, decisions and
regulations of the Public Service Commission
and the terms and conditions of any certificate
may also be enforced by mandamus or
injunction in appropriate cases, or by action to
compel the specific performance of the orders,
decisions, and regulations so made, or o the
duties imposed by law upon such public service:
Provided, that the Commission may compromise
any case that may arise under this Act in such
manner for such amount as it may deem just and
reasonable. (Sec. 22, Public Service Act)
 Upon application of the SEC, the CFI of Manila
shall also have the jurisdiction to issue
mandatory injunctions commanding any person
to comply with the provisions of the Securities
Act or any order of the Commission made in
pursuance thereof. (Sec. 31(e) Securities Act.)
 Board of Medical Examiners may file an action
to enjoin any person illegally practicing
medicine from the performance of any act
constituting practice of medicine if the case so
warrants until the necessary certificate therefore
is secured. Any such person who, after having
been so enjoined continues in the illegal practice
of medicine shall be punished for contempt of
court.
Can Judicial Enforcement be had through
Criminal Prosecutions?
 Independently of such specific statutory
provisions, judicial enforcement is also had
through criminal prosecutions for the violation
of the provisions of statutes and of the rules and
regulations issued thereunder if made a crime by
the law itself and penalty therefore specially
provided by law.

CHAPTER VII
JUDICIAL REVIEW
What is the Meaning of Judicial Review of
Administrative Actions?
 In connection with the action of and admin
agency, judicial review is used generally to
embrace any matter which arises when such
action is brought into question before a court.
What are the Basic Concepts of Judicial Review?
 The problem of judicial review of administrative
actions necessarily brings the judicial process
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ADMINISTRATIVE LAW – Atty. Chan-Gonzaga/Dean Roy
into conflict with the admin process and presents
vital questions as to the relative roles of admin
agencies and the courts in our gov’t.
 Both admin agencies and courts are considered
collaborative governmental instrumentalities of
justice rather than rivals or competitors.
 Admin agency have their source in necessity
to perform functions which are beyond the
capacity of the courts
 The role of the courts in regard to admin
action is the accommodation of the admin
process to the traditional judicial system and
to reconcile democratic safeguards and
standards of fair play with the effective
conduct of gov’t.
 One basic approach to judicial review:
 Questions of law or validity are for the
COURT;
 Questions of fact, policy, or discretion are
determinable by the ADMIN AGENCY.
 Total concept of Judicial Review is, and
necessarily must be, a matter which is highly
fluid.
 Judicial review of administrative action has
developed gradually from cases to case, in
response to the pressures of particular
situations, the teachings of experience, and
the guidance of ideals and general
principles, and influence of legislation.
 When courts are confronted with judicial review
cases of admin actions they:
 Often speak of judicial review and
especially the scope of judicial review in
terms of administrative agencies generally;
 Often apply the same rules to different types
of admin agencies
 Sometimes hold expressly that the extent of
review in regard to a particular agency is the
same as that in regard to a specific agency.
 The following militate against the generalization
of administrative action and precludes too much
into any one decision of judicial review by the
courts:
 Continuing growth of admin law,
 Different fields in which admin agencies
operate, and
 Variety of their functions and purposes, and
 Variety in the manner in which legislature in
different statutes has distributed the
responsibilities of law enforcement as
between the courts and administrative
agencies.
How is the Right to Judicial Review Granted to
the Courts?
Rhys Alexei Y. Murillo
II-D 2003-2004
 Most often, the right to Judicial Review is
granted by statute.
 It may also exist under the general powers of
the courts when the legislature has not precluded
judicial review expressly or impliedly in an area
where the courts have such power AND where:
 A justiceable right exists; or
 A right which the courts may enforce
What are the proper questions to be asked in
cases of Judicial Review of Administrative
Actions? (1 question broken down into diff. aspects)
1) May this party,
2) At this time,
3) In this particular proceeding,
4) In this particular court, obtain
5) Any review of these specific issues about this
admin proceeding, and if so,
6) How much review on each issue will this court
give?
 The questions above give rise to further inquiries
such as:
(1) What type of hearing,
(2) What type of record
(3) What type of decision, have been given by
the agency in this case.
 These last 3 questions raise the critical
problem of the basic prerequisites for the
meaningful exercise of judicial review.
May Administrative Determinations be Made
Final and Irreviewable?
 Judicial Review of Admin Action may be
granted or withheld as Congress chooses
EXCEPT when the Constitution requires
judicial review.
 When the law confers exclusive and final
jurisdiction upon the executive departments of
the gov’t to dispose of particular questions, their
judgment or the judgment of that particular
department are NO more reviewable by the
courts.
 In such cases there is no violation of due
process.
 Due process does not require that a decision
made by an appropriate tribunal shall be
reviewable by another.
 The safeguard of due process has been
complied with so long as:
a) the trier of facts shall be an
impartial tribunal
b) No findings shall be made except
upon due notice and opportunity to
be heard
c) Procedure at the hearing shall be
consistent with the essentials of a
fair trial
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ADMINISTRATIVE LAW – Atty. Chan-Gonzaga/Dean Roy
d) It shall be conducted in such a way
that there will be an opportunity for
a court to determine whether the
applicable rules of law and
procedure were observed.
 Authority of Congress to withhold judicial
review over cases involving grants, benefits, or
“privileges”, where the state accords something
to an individual in which he has no pre-existing
legal right is beyond question.
 Determinations of Admin bodies on such
questions may be made final and conclusive,
however mistaken its exercise may be.
What are the Main Sources of Judicial Review?
 Judicial Control or review of administrative
actions may proceed from any of the following:
(1) Constitutional Provisions
(2) Validly enacted Legislation
(3) Doctrines developed by the courts
themselves, independently or statutory
provisions.
 In the Philippines, the basis for judicial review
may be:
(1) Constitution
Sec. 11, Art. XII-C of 1973 Consti [now Art.
IX-A, 1987 Consti]
 “any decision, order, or ruling of the
COMELEC may be brought to the
SC on certiorari by the aggrieved
party within 30 days from his
receipt of a copy thereof.”
Sec. 2(2) of Art. XII-D of 1973 Consti [now
Art. IX-A, 1987 Consti]
 “unless otherwise provided by law,
any decision, order or ruling of the
COA may be brought to the SC on
certiorari by the aggrieved party
withing 30 days from his receipt of
a copy thereof.
(2) Statutes
 Decisions of Agrarian Relations,
Philippine Patents Office, SEC,
Social Security Commission, NLRC
(3) General Principles of Public Law
 Decisions of deportation,
immigration, public lands, and
postal authorities, and of the
numerous professional boards, are
likewise reviewable by the courts.
Can there be Judicial Review in the Absence of
Statutory Authority?
 In San Miguel Corporation v. Secretary of
Labor
 Generally understood that as to admin
agencies exercising quasi-judicial or
legislative powers, there is an underlying
Rhys Alexei Y. Murillo
II-D 2003-2004
power in the courts to scrutinize the acts of
such agencies on questions of law and
jurisdiction even though no right of review
is given by the statute.
What is the purpose of judicial review even if it is
not granted by the statute?
 Purpose of judicial review is to keep the admin
agency within its jurisdiction and protect
substantial rights of parties affected by its
decisions.
 It is a part of a system of checks and balances
restricting the separation of powers and
forestalling arbitrary and unjust adjudications.
Generally, when is Judicial Review proper?
(1) Lack of Jurisdiction
(2) Grave Abuse of Discretion
(3) Error of law,
(4) Fraud or Collusion.
What may the Courts do in exercise of Judicial
Review?
 The courts may declare an action or resolution
of administrative authority to be illegal because:
(1) It violates or fails to comply with some
mandatory provisions of law; or
(2) It is corrupt, arbitrary and capricious
Does the Legislative have Control over Judicial
Review?
 In the absence of constitutional provisions,
legislative control over judicial review is
absolute.
 Legis may grant or withhold judicial review of
admin actions and determine when judicial
review is available and under what circumstance
if granted are questions that depend on the
particular enactment under which judicial review
is authorized.
What are Conditions for the Exercise of Judicial
Review?
 Before Judicial Review of Administrative
Determinations may be had, it is required:
(1) Principle of Finality of Administrative
Action
 That the Administrative action has
already been fully completed, and
therefore, final; and
(2) Doctrine of Exhaustion of Administrative
Remedies
 All administrative remedies have been
exhausted.
What is the Principle of Finality of the
Administrative Action?
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 The principle states that courts are reluctant to
interfere with administrative action prior to its
completion and in this sense not final.
 Courts are averse to review interim steps in an
admin proceeding, and preliminary or
procedural orders of an admin body, primarily
on the ground that such a review would afford
opportunity for constant delay.
What are the Exceptions to and Limitations on
the Doctrine of Finality?
 Doctrine of finality of admin action as a
requisite for review is NOT only concerned with
the completeness of the admin action; but also
 Involves immediacy of impact of such
action as has been taken; and
 The impingement of that action upon
asserted rights.
 The considerations above operate to limit or
create exceptions to the requirement that judicial
intervention be withheld until admin action has
reached its complete development.
 In such instances, judicial relief for review
at an initial or intermediate stage of the
judicial process is permitted.
 It is also recognized that judicial review may be
available as to an interlocutory order affecting
the merits of a controversy, and that a court my
grant relief to preserve the status quo pending
further action by the admin agency.
 Under Equity Jurisdiction, judicial intervention
prior to the completion of admin action may be
invoked when:
 Essential to the protection of the rights
asserted or
 The admin officer assumes to act in
violation of the Consti and other laws or
 Such order is not reviewable in any other
way and the complainants will suffer great
and obvious damage if the order is carried
out; or
 Such relief is expressly allowed by law.
 Doctrine of Finality DOES NOT preclude
exercise of the general discretion of the court to
set aside an order made in excess of power,
contrary to specific prohibition in the statute
governing the agency and thus operating as a
deprivation of a right assured by the statute.
Can there be Judicial Relief from Threatened
Admin Action?
 Judicial relief from threatened or pending
admin action has been DENIED on several
grounds among them:
(1) The courts will not render a decree in
advance of the admin action and there
render such action nugatory;
Rhys Alexei Y. Murillo
II-D 2003-2004
(2) Until the admin authority has acted, the
complainant can show no more than an
apprehension that such agency will
perform its duty wrongly
 This is a fear which the courts
cannot act upon
(3) That it is not for the court to stop an
admin officer from performing his
statutory duty for fear he will perform it
wrongly;
(4) That admin officer to whom public
duties are confided by law is not subject
to the control of the courts in the
exercise of the judgment and discretion
which the law reposes in hims as part of
his official functions
 UNLESS: such duties are of a
purely ministerial character and
involve no exercise discretion
and no other grounds.
What is the Doctrine of Exhaustion of Admin
Remedies?
 This requires that when an admin remedy is
provided by law, relief must be sought by
exhausting this remedy before the courts will
act.
 No recourse can be had until all such remedies
have been exhausted and special civil actions
agst admin officers should not be entertained if
superior admin officers could grant relief.
 IMPT: SC has held that exhaustion of admin
remedies is necessary ONLY when required by
law, and that ignorance of the existence of such
admin remedy is no excuse.
Does the Non-Exhaustion of Admin Remedies
Prevent Judicial Review?
 GENERALLY, non-exhaustion of admin
remedies would prevent judicial review.
 Unless the process of admin decision-making
has been completed, a case is not ready for
judicial review.
 Exhaustion of admin remedies imports recourse
to the highest admin authority.
Does Exhaustion of Admin Remedies Include the
Appeal to the President?
 Under the system of government that we have,
exhaustion of remedies theoretically envisages
appeal from the head of a bureau or office to the
department head and finally to the President of
the Philippines.
 The President’s Constitutional Control Power
over all departments, bureaus, and offices places
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him in a position to reverse, modify, or affirm a
decision or ruling by a head of a department
bureau or office.
 The progress of an admin case in the ordinary
course of law is an upward step-by-step
progression to the office of the President
 Calo v. Fuertes
 Withdrawal of an appeal to the President
before he could act on it is tantamount
to not appealing at all.

A subsequent petition for certiorari and
prohibition cannot prosper because such
withdrawal was fatal, as the appeal to
the President is the last step the
aggrieved party should take in an admin
case
 Dimaisip v. CA
 Failure to appeal from a decision of the
Sec of Agriculture and Natural
Resources to the Pres does no preclude
the plaintiff from taking the case to the
court, in view of the theory that the Sec.
is a mere alter-ego of the President.
• If the appeal to the Pres is not
necessary in order that the case may
be taken to court, the highest admin
authority (in this case the Sec) had
already spoken.
•
To require the filing of a formal
motion for reconsideration of the
decision of the Exec Sec. would
have been a useless formality.
When is appeal to the President indispensable?
 Appeal to the President is indispensable where it
rests not only upon the power of control of the
President over departments, bureaus, and offices
but upon a statute expressly providing for the
right of appeal to the President.
When is appeal to the President NOT
indispensable?
 It is NOT necessary where the statute does not
provide so.
 In these cases, appeal to the President from a
decision of a Dept. Head is optional
Distinguish between the Principle of Finality and
Exhaustion.
 Doctrine of exhaustion is merely one aspect of
the broader doctrine of finality which requires
final administrative action as prerequisite of
judicial review.
 Principle of Finality of admin action is thus
broader in scope and application than the
doctrine of exhaustion of remedies.
Rhys Alexei Y. Murillo
II-D 2003-2004
 In GENERAL, the two principles are applied in
situations in which a like result could be
reached.
 In some instances, the doctrine of
exhaustion of remedy may not be available
in a particular court, but the lack of finality
of admin action may not yet be urged.
What are some of the Reasons for the Doctrine of
Exhaustion?
1) If the relief is first sought from a higher or
superior admin agency, resort to courts may
prove unnecessary, saving the delay and expense
of litigation, and preventing the courts from
being swamped by resort to them in the first
place.
2) If a mistake is committed in the initial steps of
the admin activity or by an admin agency, it
should be given the chance to correct such error,
and if such mistake is not corrected therein,
relief may be obtained from the higher admin
authorities.
3) The principle of comity and convenience
requires the courts to stay their hands until the
admin processes have been completed.
4) Finally, since judicial review of admin actions is
usually had through special civil actions, such
proceedings cannot ordinarily lie if there is an
appeal, or any plain, speedy, and adequate
remedy in the ordinary course of law.
What are some of the Exceptions to the Doctrine
of Exhaustion?
1) Where it plainly appears that the administrative
remedy would be of no value and fruitless, the
party seeking judicial relief does not have to
complete administrative procedures before
resorting to the courts.
2) When there estoppel on the part of the
administrative agency claiming the benefit of the
doctrine.
3) When no administrative action is possible
because the question involved is purely a legal
question.
4) When the administrative action for which the
relief is sought is patently illegal amounting to
lack of jurisdiction.
5) When there is unreasonable delay or official
inaction.
6) When there is an irreparable damage or injury or
threat thereof unless resort to the court is
immediately made.
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7) When the doctrine of qualified political agency
applies.
8) In extreme cases where there is no other plain,
speedy, or adequate remedy in the ordinary
course of law.
9) In land case, the doctrine applies ONLY to lands
of the public domain in pursuance of the Public
Land Act. The rule is inapplicable to private
lands, not even to those acquired by the Gov’t
by purchase for resale to individuals.
10) When there are special reasons or circumstances
demanding immediate court action.
11) Where the law does not make an administrative
remedy a condition precedent to judicial resort.
12) In cases where the observance of the exhaustion
requirement “would result in the nullification of
the claim being asserted”
13) In case when there is nothing left to be done but
to go to court.
What is the Doctrine of Primary Administrative
Jurisdiction or Prior Resort?
 This doctrine holds that courts cannot and will
NOT determine a controversy:
a) Involving a question which is within the
jurisdiction of the administrative tribunal;
b) Such administrative tribunal has not yet
rendered a decision of that question;
c) The question demands the exercise of sound
administrative discretion requiring the
special knowledge, experience, and services
of the administrative tribunal;
d) The purpose of such discretion is to
determine technical and intricate matters of
fact; and a
e) Uniformity of ruling is essential to comply
with the purposes of the regulatory statute
administered.
 The doctrine therefore requires prior resort to
the appropriate admin agency before the
jurisdiction of the courts can be invoked.
(hmm… isn’t this similar to doctrine of finality?)
What are the reasons for the Doctrine of Prior
Resort?
1) To take full advantage of administrative
expertise;
2) To attain uniformity of application of regulatory
laws.
Rhys Alexei Y. Murillo
II-D 2003-2004
Distinguish the Doctrine of Prior Resort from
Exhaustion.
 Exhaustion Doctrine operates where an admin
agency has the authority to pass on every
question raised by a party resorting to judicial
relief and enables the court to withhold its aid
entirely until admin remedies have been
exhausted.
a) The doctrine cannot apply to defeat a right
of election which a party may have (such as
when given expressly by the statute)
between an admin and judicial remedy.
 Doctrine of Prior Resort operates to shut out
from courts only the determination of certain
issues in a proceeding of which it admittedly has
jurisdiction.
a) The doctrine is applied in the face of the
statutes purporting to permit a choice of
remedies.
What are the Limitations on Prior Resort?
 Doctrine does not apply in relation to a question
where the following circumstances concur:
a) What is involved is not a question of fact,
but one of pure law;
b) The question is determinable apart from the
exercise of administrative discretion
(meaning admin discretion is not essential to
the determination of the question.)
c) Requisite uniformity of determination is
attainable otherwise than by confining
determination of the question to the admin
tribunal.
What are the Classifications of Methods of
Obtaining Relief from or a Review of
Administrative Actions?
1) Statutory or Non-Statutory Methods;
2) Direct or Collateral methods.
What are Statutory/Non-Statutory Methods?
 Statutory Methods
 Those available pursuant to specific
statutory provision.
 Manner and extent of which are expressly
governed by statutes or rules.
 Non-Statutory Methods
 Those which are not expressly provided for
by statutes but which the courts supply by
their reason inherent power to review such
proceedings upon questions of jurisdiction
and questions of law.
 Questions of law and jurisdiction are of
a judicial nature, whether the tribunal
was exercising a judicial function or a
purely admin function.
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ADMINISTRATIVE LAW – Atty. Chan-Gonzaga/Dean Roy
What are Direct/Collateral Methods?
 Direct Proceedings
 One designed by law for a review or relief
from a judgment and other proceedings the
primary purpose of which is some relief or
result other than the setting aside of the
judgment.
 An attack on the judgment may be
incidentally involved.
 Collateral Attack
 There is an attempt to question in a
subsequent proceeding the conclusiveness or
validity of a prior admin decision on the
ground that the decision is invalid and void
for:
a) Lack of jurisdiction over the person, or
b) Lack of jurisdiction over the subject
matter, or
c) Because the determination attacked was
not the act of the body vested with
power to make the determination.
What are Examples of Statutory Methods of
Review?
1) Judicial Review of Decisions of COMELEC
 May be brought to SC on certiorari {Sec. 11,
Art. XII-C of 1973 Consti [now Art. IX-A,
1987 Consti]}
2) Judicial Review of Decisions of COA
 Brought to SC on certiorari {Sec. 2(2) of Art.
XII-D of 1973 Consti [now Art. IX-A, 1987
Consti]}
3) Judicial Review of Decision of the Court of
Agrarian Relations
 Brought to SC on questions of law and may
be brought to SC for findings of fact, only
when the decision is not supported by
substantial evidence. (RA 1267, as amended
by RA 1409, Sec. 13)
4) Judicial Review of Decisions of the Public
Service Commission
 By Certiorari or by Petition for Review (CA
146, Sec. 36)
5) Judicial Review of Decisions of the SEC
 Brought to SC on a petition for review after
the objection to the order of SEC has first
been urged before the latter. (CA 83, Sec.
35), (Rule 43, Sec. 4, Rules of Court)
6) Judicial Review of Decisions of the Phil. Patent
Office
 Appeal to the SC for decisions on
registration of a design, cancellation of a
patent, obtaining compulsory licenses. (Sec.
61, RA 165)
Rhys Alexei Y. Murillo
II-D 2003-2004
 Appeal to SC for denial of registration of a
mark or trade name, or renewal of
registration or any cancellation proceeding
(Sec. 33, RA 165)
7) Judicial Review of Decisions of the Collector of
Internal Revenue, Commissioner of Customs or
Provincial or City Board of Assessment Appeals
 Appeal in CTA within 30 days. (Sec.11, RA
1125)
 Appeal decision of CTA in a Petition for
Review to the SC
Where the Statute provides the Method of review
is that to the exclusion of other methods?
 Where the statute setting up the admin agency
makes specific methods for judicial review of
the agency’s determination, that method is
ordinarily exclusive.
 If statutory methods of direct judicial review are
available, the use of non-statutory methods is
not likely to be permitted by the Court.
 EXCEPTION: Where under a statute providing
for direct review of the decision of a specified
admin agency, orders of a certain type are not
reviewable, judicial review may be available by
non-statutory review proceedings, particularly
where exceptional circumstances exist.
What are Examples of Non-Statutory Methods?
 Where no specific statutory method is provided
or where the method provided does not cover the
particular situation desired to be judicially
reviewed or resolved, relief may be had in
appropriate cases by means of common-law or
prerogative writs of: (a.k.a special civil actions)
a) Certiorari
b) Mandamus
c) Habeas Corpus
d) Quo Warranto
e) Prohibition.
What are some of the non-statutory methods of
review of admin determinations in the Phil?
1) Judicial Review of Decisions of Immigration
Authorities
 SC asserted that courts have jurisdiction to
review decisions of immigration authorities
on the exclusion of aliens ONLY when
there has been an abuse on their part such
as:
a) When a person who does not belong to
the excluded class has been denied
admission;
b) When a person seeking admission has
not been given a fair, full and free
hearing; or
c) When there is no proof at all against the
right of the applicant for admission.
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 Such action when based upon a
misconstruction of the law can be
corrected by the courts.
 When the applicants are under detention,
habeas corpus may be utilized to test its
legality.
2) Judicial Review of Decisions of Deportation
Authorities
 Decisions of deportation authorities are
final, unless:
a) There has been an abuse of discretion or
power, or
b) Where they have acted in open violation
of the law;
c) There has been no fair hearing.
 A person sought to be deported is entitled to
a fair, full and impartial hearing and must be
informed of the ground of deportation.
• If the evidence presented relates to
grounds other than that on which the
proceeding is based, he cannot be
deported.
 When the persons sought to be deported are
under detention, habeas corpus proceedings
is the proper remedy.
3) Judicial Review of Determination of Land
Authorities
 Decisions of Sec of Agriculture and Natural
Resources upon a question of fact is
conclusive and NOT subject to judicial
review unless:
a) It is shown that such was rendered in
consequence of fraud, imposition or
mistake other than error of judgment in
estimating the value or effect of
evidence.
 This is regardless of whether or not
such is consistent with the
preponderance of evidence so long
as there is some evidence upon
which the finding in question could
be made.
 Ex: Decisions rendered as a
consequence of fraud and
misrepresentations and are thus
rendered with grave abuse of
discretion in that they were based
upon fictitious facts or mere
inferences from an alleged
investigation which the parties were
not heard and of which there is no
record, and contrary to the findings
made in other investigation to which
they were parties, may be judicially
reviewed.
b) The decision relates to a question of
law.
Rhys Alexei Y. Murillo
4) Judicial Review of Decisions of Examining
Boards
 The powers of gov’t boards of examination
to pass upon the qualifications of applicants
to various professions are in some respects
quasi-judicial.
• In the performance of their duties, they
may have to consider and finally
determine questions of a purely legal
character.
•
If a remedy is granted, such as appeal to
higher admin authorities, the law
creating such boards will be valid, even
though no appeal to the courts is
provided.
♦ Where the law provides that the
results of the examination are to be
submitted for confirmation to the
Dept. Sec., it is not the ministerial
function of the latter to blindly
confirm the results and he may set
aside the examination if he finds
that it was attended by irregularities.
♦ The decision of the Dept. Sec will
not be set aside by the court
UNLESS it appears that such was
exercised with manifest injustice or
grave abuse.
5) Judicial Review of Decisions of Postal
Authorities
 The performance of the duty of determining
whether a publication contains printed
matter of a libelous character as to be
excluded from the mail rests with the
Director of Posts and involves the exercise
of his judgment and discretion.
• Courts will not interfere UNLESS: the
court is clearly of the opinion that it was
patently wrong.
What are Examples of Collateral Methods?
 Some of the usual methods of review of a
collateral nature are:
(1) By injunction
(2) By declaratory judgments
(3) By damage suits against administrative
officers
(4) By actions for restitution
In General, What are Grounds for Review in the
absence of valid statutory provisions or other
affecting the scope and extent of judicial review?
1) Where the determination is beyond the powers
which could constitutionally be vested in or
exercised by an administrative authority;
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
2) Where the determination is without or in excess
of the statutory powers and jurisdiction of the
administrative authority;
3) Where the determination is an exercise of
powers so arbitrary or unreasonable as virtually
to transcend the authority conferred, or is
otherwise an abuse of discretion, or in disregard
of the fundamental rules of due process of law,
as required by constitutional or statutory
directions, or in an otherwise irregular
proceeding, or is tainted with matters which
disclose fraud, mistake, bad faith, corruption or
collusion; or
4) Where the determination is based upon an error
of law.
What is the Scope of Judicial Review?
 Judicial Review of executive or admin decisions
does not import a trial de novo.
 It is only the ascertainment of whether the
executive findings are:
 Not in violation of the Constitution or of
the laws,
 Free from fraud or imposition, and
 Whether they find reasonable support in
the evidence.
 The ruling of an admin authority on
questions of law, while not as conclusive as
its findings of fact, it is nevertheless
persuasive and given weight and carries
with it a strong presumption of correctness,
especially where:
 A system of law has been built up in one
administrative agency, or
 The opinion of an administrative board
in which there are professional men is
fortified by judgment and experience.
 Questions of Fact
 GEN Rule: In the absence of statutory
directions to the contrary, and of any vital
defect such as with respect to jurisdiction
and procedure, Administrative findings of
fact are conclusive upon the courts, if
supported by substantial or competent
evidence.
 Courts may be expressly or impliedly
precluded from reviewing the findings of
facts of an administrative agency.

 So long as the findings of fact are supported by
substantial evidence, even if not overwhelming
or preponderant, the administrative decision
should be respected.
 It is not for the reviewing court to weigh the
conflicting evidence, determine the
credibility of the witness or otherwise
substitute its own judgment for that of the
admin agency on the sufficiency of
evidence.
 These principles negate the power of a
reviewing court to re-examine the sufficiency of
evidence in an admin case as if originally
instituted therein and do not authorize the court
to receive additional evidence that was not
submitted to the admin agency concerned.
What are Questions Subject to Review?
 Questions of Law
 Subject to judicial review upon which the
courts may substitute their own judgment for
the administrative determination where:
 An error of the administrative agency
upon a question of law results, or is
likely to result in the miscarriage of
justice, or is a material error, or
 Administrative action is clearly or
palpably wrong, or
Rhys Alexei Y. Murillo
The reason and the justice of the case is
clear and plain.
Examples of statutes that expressly
preclude such review:
a) Minimum Wage Law – review of the
SC of findings of order of Sec. of
Labor is limited to questions of law
and the findings of fact by Sec
supported by substantial evidence is
conclusive. (Sec. 7(a) RA 602)
b) Public Land Act – Decision of Dir
of Lands approved by Sec. of
Agriculture and Natural Resources
as to questions of fact is conclusive.
(Sec. 4, CA 141)

Ex of statutes that impliedly preclude
such review:
a) Court of Industrial Relations Act –
confines review of the decisions of
the industrial court to questions of
law (Sec. 15, CA 103)

However, A judicial review of the
findings of fact even in the above
instances may be made when there is:
• Fraud,
• Imposition
• Mistake other than error of
judgment in estimating the value or
effect of evidence
• Error in appreciation of the
pleadings and in the interpretation
of the documentary evidence
presented by the parties.
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 A review of the findings of fact of
administrative agency may be expressly
allowed by statute.
 Ex: SC is given jurisdiction to review
the determinations of the Public Service
Commission when it clearly appears that
there was no evidence before the
Commission to support reasonably such
determination.
•
However, SC is bound by the
findings of fact of the Commission
and, although it can modify such
decision, the SC is not authorized to
weigh the conflicting evidence and
substitute its conclusion.
•
SC can only ascertain whether there
was evidence to reasonably support
the decision.
 Mixed Questions of Law and Fact
 This arises where there is difficulty in
separating reviewable questions of law from
non-reviewable questions of fact.
 An Admin finding on a mixed question of
fact and law is subject to judicial review, on
which the court may substitute its judgment
for that of the admin agency.
 It is to be noted that Admin determinations
upon such mixed questions of fact and law
carries a strong presumption of its
correctness and courts will not ordinarily
review it.
 Courts usually apply Brandeis Doctrine of
Assimilation of Facts w/ respect to mixed
questions of law and fact.
 Where what purports to be a finding
upon a question of fact is so involved
with and depended upon a question of
law as to be in substance and effect a
decision of the latter, the Court will,
order to decide the legal question,
examine the entire record, including the
evidence if necessary as it does in cases
coming from the highest court of the
State. (Justice Brandeis, St. Joseph Stock
Yards Co. v. US)

Under this doctrine, the more important
question assimilates the other.
What is the Substantial Evidence Rule when
applied to Judicial Review?
 This is a compromise between theories of broad
or de novo review and restricted review or
complete abstention.
Rhys Alexei Y. Murillo
II-D 2003-2004
 It is broad enough and capable of sufficient
flexibility in its application to enable the
reviewing court to correct whatever
ascertainable abuses may arise in the admin
adjudication.
 On the other hand, it is review of such
breadth as is entirely consistent with
effective administration.
 This rule provides for review of rationality of a
determination and is a test of reasonableness and
not of rightness of agency findings of fact.
 It does not mean that the reviewing court
will weigh the evidence or substitute its
judgment for the considered judgment of the
administrative tribunal.
 It means that the:
a. Court will apply the only available objective
test to determine whether the admin tribunal
did in truth exercise such considered
judgment; and that the
b. Court will insist upon such relevant
evidence as a reasonable mind might accept
as adequate to support a conclusion.
 The rule requires that the determinations of fact
should be upheld unless arbitrary or clearly
wrong, and ruling supported by substantial
evidence should be sustained unless they rest on
erroneous legal foundations.
 Insular Life Assurance Co., Ltd, Employees
Association – NATU v. Insular Life Assurance
Co., Ltd.
 Findings of fact of the Court of Industrial
Relations if supported by substantial
evidence bind the SC.
 RATIO: Rule of substantial evidence, rather
than the rule of preponderance of evidence
applicable in ordinary civil cases, governs
the Court of Industrial Relations in its
findings of fact.
 Substantial evidence refers to such relevant
evidence as a reasonable mind might accept
as adequate to support a conclusion.
 Substantiality of the evidence depends on its
quantitative as well as its qualitative
aspects. To be considered as substantial,
said evidence should primarily be credible.
 Findings of fact NOT supported by
substantial and credible evidence DO NOT
bind SC.
Is Judicial Review Considered Trial de Novo?
 Judicial Review of executive or admin decisions
does not import a trial de novo.
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ADMINISTRATIVE LAW – Atty. Chan-Gonzaga/Dean Roy
II-D 2003-2004
 It is only the ascertainment of whether the
executive findings are:
 Not in violation of the Constitution or of
the laws,
 Free from fraud or imposition, and
 Whether they find reasonable support in
the evidence.
 To assume that after administrative decision has
been rendered the courts are free to retry the
case de novo is to misconceive the fundamental
mission of judicial review.
 It is not for the reviewing court to weigh the
conflicting evidence, determine the credibility of
the witnesses, or otherwise substitute its own
judgment for that of the admin agency on the
sufficiency of evidence.
 As stated countless of times, Admin
decision in matters within the executive
jurisdiction can only be set aside on proof of
gross abuse of discretion, fraud or error of
law.

Godbless! La na time to encode the digests… Sensya
na mejo mahaba reviewer… 
Rhys Alexei Y. Murillo
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